IND vs ENG: Kevin Pietersen floored by Virat Kohli’s passion for longest format, says his heroes are legends of Test cricket: Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen opened up on Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s hunger and passion for the red ball game. The English veteran mentioned that Kohli is righteously treading the footsteps of his heroes- Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and other legends of Test match cricket.
“Knowing Virat Kohli the way that I do, I know the huge impetus he puts on following in the footsteps of his heroes. His heroes are Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and other legends of Test match cricket. You can see by his enthusiasm, intensity, and the way he rallies his troops. Test cricket still means everything to him,” Pietersen wrote.
Pietersen is impressed by Kohli’s commitment towards the game and hailed the Indian cricketer as a global superstar.
“Kohli knows that to be considered a legend of the game, he needs to deliver in this format as well as in T20. That’s why he puts so much importance on this format and at a time when Test cricket needs all the love it can get, how good is it to see a global superstar so passionate about it.”
Difficult to come to England and perform, says Pietersen
Pietersen went the extra mile to praise the visitors and mentioned that Virat Kohli and Co. have now been performing well in overseas conditions as well. A testimony was seen against Australia earlier this year and now at Lord’s in England.
“He values his team producing in all conditions, and so to have watched his team win in Australia and then have gone one up in England with a victory at Lord’s will satisfy him hugely,” he added.
The Englishman mentioned that India would have been up 2-0 in the series had there been no washout of the game due to rain on the fifth day of the first Test at Trent Bridge. Further, he lauded Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj for his intensity with the ball who bagged eight wickets for India in the second Test at Lord’s. Besides, Pietersen is also amazed by the brand of cricket India have displayed, especially in the whites.
“It’s very difficult for subcontinental teams to come to England and perform, but they would probably be 2-0 up after two matches if it weren’t for the rain at Trent Bridge. The way that Mohammed Siraj bowled on day five summed it up intensity, heart and quality. It’s amazing for Test cricket that India who are the number one brand in the game are so vocal and so passionate about it. It all bodes well for the format,” Pietersen concluded.
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Ind vs Eng: Kevin Pietersen floored by Virat Kohli’s passion for longest format, says his heroes are legends of Test cricket
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