Virat Kohli’s fierce competitiveness helped him take India’s Test team to new high, says Saha

How would you define Virat Kohli?

Usually, such questions could put people in a fix, but Wriddhiman Saha was quick to reply: “a champion, who always wants to win.”

The former India wicketkeeper, who has played under Kohli’s captaincy for seven long years, went on listing the reasons to justify his answer. “Be it on the field, or even while playing on the PlayStation with us, Virat always had that winning mentality. He was never ready to lose without putting in his best efforts. This fierce competitiveness spoke volumes about his character, and it also explains why he could take India’s Test team to a new high in his tenure,” Saha told  Sportstar.

Kohli led India in 68 Tests – the highest by any Indian – and went on to win 40 games, while losing 17 and drawing the remaining 11. He boasts a remarkable win percentage of 58.82, making him the most successful Test captain in India’s history.

Saha remembered that morning in Adelaide, 13 years ago, when Kohli scored his maiden Test century against a formidable Australian pace battery. While it was Kohli’s eighth Test outing, Saha was playing his second game in the format. As he came out to bat, with India reeling at 111 for 5, Kohli walked up to him, patted on the back and said, “be confident.”

“He was very clear about our approach. Australia had already posted a mammoth total, and we had lost five wickets. So, he told me to be in the moment and just play to my strength,” Saha reminisced. “Both of us were young cricketers then, and those conversations actually motivated us to get going, and we forged a 114-run partnership for the sixth wicket.”

While Saha was bowled by Ryan Harris for 35, Kohli registered a 213-ball-116 to stamp his class. “He was someone who’s always positive and could pass on that positivity to everyone around him,” Saha said.

Virat Kohli and Wriddhiman Saha used to talk throughout the day about everything under the sun.
| Photo Credit:
VIVEK BENDRE/ The Hindu

That was evident with the way Kohli went on captaining India in Tests from 2015 to 2021. “A lot of us were perhaps a bit shy in showing our emotions in the middle, but that was never the case with Virat. Since his U-19 days, he showed the world what he was capable of. But it’s not easy to maintain that same level of energy and aggression at the highest level, but it came naturally to him,” Saha, a 40-Test veteran, said.

“The fact that he could look the opponent in the eye and never give up made him what he is. That was evident from the fact that even broadcasters would show his expressions after every wicket fell, rather than focusing on the bowlers. Those animated expressions gave a glimpse of how passionate he was about the game.”

For any player, it was an experience, and things were no different for Saha. With him behind the stumps and Kohli at slips, the duo made it a point to keep talking throughout the day. “Most of those conversations were not about cricket. That seemed to be our time to talk about everything under the sun, and he made it a point to ensure that monotony did not set in because it was not easy to field throughout the day,” Saha said.

Having travelled the world with him and seeing him emerge as a legend of the game, Saha has no hesitation in admitting that Kohli’s discipline and dedication brought him so far. “In my career, I have never seen Virat taking things easy during the practice sessions. Be it a preparatory camp or a match simulation session, Virat would always come well-prepared. He was perhaps among the first ones to come and last to leave, after working in every department and focusing particularly on fitness. I don’t remember seeing anyone so dedicated during practice, maybe the only other name I can remember is Jonty Rhodes,” Saha said.

The cricket fraternity is yet to come to terms with the fact that Kohli has moved on from the longest format of the game. There are debates on whether Kohli should have continued until the England series, to be played between June and August. However, Saha believes that it has been an ‘incredible career’ for Kohli, who not only dominated world cricket, but also played the game on his own terms.