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Following the early Test retirement of Team India stalwart Virat Kohli, former England cricketer Michael Atherton said that he loved watching him play on every day of his Test career. He further said that it is hard for someone to take their eyes off when Kohli takes on the crease in Test cricket.
“You couldn`t take your eyes off Kohli, that`s what I always felt like watching him. It was noticeable to me that in his retirement statement, he referenced the challenges that Test cricket had given him. I loved watching him play every day of his 123 Tests. He put his heart and soul into Test cricket, and that energy and passion never seemed to dim,” said Atherton, according to Sky Sports.
Virat Kohli on Monday took to his official social media handle to announce his retirement in the format. In the previous week, traditional opening batsman Rohit Sharma drew curtains in the longest format of the game.
Also Read: “I`m gutted we won`t see Virat Kohli in England this summer”: Michael Vaughan
Concluding his Test career as India`s fourth-highest run-scorer, the right-hander featured in 123 Tests and scored 9,230 runs with an average of 46.85. He also had 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries to his name.
Further speaking, Atherton expressed curiosity about who will bat at number four for India in Test cricket.
“It feels as though at the start of a new World Test Championship cycle, this is the moment that India will start to regenerate and reshape their team. We`re not sure who is going to take his place at No. 4 yet, and you kind of pity the person who has to follow because you`ve just had about 15 years of Kohli and before that, it was Sachin Tendulkar,” he added.
Kohli and Rohit drew curtains on their Test careers before the start of the England series. Team India will lock horns with England for a five-match Test series.
Apart from filling the vacant number four spot, the Indian management needs to identify former skipper Rohit`s successor. According to recent reports, Shubman Gill is the frontrunner to take on the captaincy tag despite Bumrah serving as former skipper Rohit`s deputy in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He served as the stand-in captain in Perth and led the side when Rohit opted out in the final Test in Sydney.
(With ANI Inputs)
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