Virat Kohli, no longer the captain but still influential in the Indian cricket team, gave a passionate speech to his teammates during the World Test Championship final at The Oval. After impressive batting performances from Rahane and Thakur, India’s pacers troubled Australia. Just before play resumed after the tea break, Kohli motivated his teammates with a pep-talk.
Although Australia had a significant first-innings lead of 173, India’s Siraj and Shami bowled with fire, resulting in the dismissal of Warner. India has a history of remarkable comebacks against Australia. In 2001, they won the Eden Gardens Test after following on, and in 2020-21, they secured a sensational series win in Australia after losing the first Test.
India faced criticism for their passive approach in the WTC final. Kohli was trolled for socializing with Gill, Kishan, and Rathour. Kohli responded with a cryptic Instagram story. On the field, Kohli delivered a stirring speech, and Captain Sharma listened attentively.
In 2021, as captain, Kohli urged his bowlers to trouble England at Lord’s, resulting in a memorable Test win. Kohli regained his form with impressive performances in T20Is, ODIs, and the IPL. However, he fell victim to Starc’s delivery in the WTC final. Jadeja, Rahane, and Thakur rescued India, giving them a fighting chance.