Hyderabad: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh asserted that the lack of an ICC trophy as a skipper in Virat Kohli's cabinet doesn't make him a "lesser captain", but he was someone who ignited the fire of winning in the Indian cricket team.
Speaking to 'Sports Yaari' in an interview, Harbhajan said Team India is now reaping the benefits of the fire that was lit by Kohli during his days as captain. Kohli ki kaptaani mein chaahe aap World Cup nahi jeete (you may not have won a World Cup under Kohli's captaincy), but it doesn't make him a lesser captain or lesser player," said Harbhajan.
Harbhajan also mentioned that the former India skipper instilled the belief of taking a challenge head-on and to not going down without a fight. He cited the example of the third and fourth Tests during the 2020-21 tour of Australia when India clinched the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) with a heroic finish.
Kohli, however, had to leave the four-Test series after the first match, where the Men in Blue were bundled out for their lowest team total in Test history -- 36 runs, for the birth of his child, handing over the mantle to Ajinkya Rahane.
"Jo usne aag lagayi na team mei (the fire that he ignited in the team), like it may be a target of 400 in the fourth innings of a Test, we'll go for the chase, we won't panic. If we go down, we do it while chasing," Harbhajan said. "...it takes a lot of guts and brain, which Kohli has instilled in the team. So every person has left his legacy," said the 44-year-old.
He then explained that the knocks played by Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in the fourth Test at the Gabba, saw India emerge triumphant by three wickets while chasing a target of over 300 to clinch the series. "That determination to fight till the end, which Shubman and Rishabh showed to win that Test in Gabba. It was because the way the team's thinking changed," Harbhajan concluded.
