Test cricket looked better when Virat Kohli played, says a former England captain

With Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket, many felt the void is difficult to fill. Virat Kohli drew Gen Z towards the traditional format of the game.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has paid a heartfelt tribute to Virat Kohli, calling him one of the most influential figures in modern Test cricket. His remarks come during the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy – the newly renamed India-England Test series in England.

“Test match cricket is so much better when Kohli was playing,” Nasser Hussain said in a recent conversation, noting the vacuum Kohli’s retirement will leave in the red-ball game. “We will move on – we moved on from (Sunil) Gavaskar to (Sachin) Tendulkar to Kohli, and maybe (Shubman) Gill as well – but Kohli added so much to the game.”

Reflecting on Virat Kohli’s passionate defence of the format, Hussain referred to the star batter’s comments after winning the IPL earlier this year, where he urged the next generation to embrace Test cricket. “It was great to see what he said after that IPL win, talking about Test cricket and telling the younger lot – that is where you make your name.”

Kohli had said Test cricket is much higher compared to the satisfaction of winning the IPL.

The former England skipper also recalled a defining memory from the 2021 Lord’s Test, which India famously won under Kohli’s captaincy. “It may not be my favourite, but the moment that stuck with me the most was on that last morning at Lord’s, when England were chasing a score. Kohli was in the huddle, pointing at every Indian player, telling them to unleash hell on that England batting line-up for 60 overs. And that is exactly what they did.”

“He turned that team into a reflection of himself – intense, bold, and relentless. Siraj, Bumrah, Shami – all in your face. That was Kohli’s spirit. Test match cricket is so much better with that,” Hussain added.

Kohli’s stellar Test career

Virat Kohli leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in Test cricket. In 123 Test matches, he scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. As captain, he led India in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them – the most by any Indian captain. Under his leadership, India became a dominant force both at home and abroad, including historic Test series wins in Australia.

While Kohli’s decision to retire from Tests just before the inaugural Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy might surprise many, it also marks the end of a chapter that defined an era.