Sourav Ganguly : Virat Kohli will be rated one of the greatest captains if India do well overseas

India will fly out with an excitable pace battery for their upcoming away tour that gives Kohli reason enough to believe that they can do well in South Africa. With the batsmen also firing all cylinders, the belief has been compounded manifold as the team has won nine consecutive Test series on the trot, most of them in home conditions. The only element of doubt in their roaring run is their inexperience of playing in away conditions. And, Ganguly reckons that it will be the test of character for the Indian skipper.

"Best in the world and history in Australia, during our era and the West Indies in our time. We have nine series win, out which I think seven in India so, they have to go away and do well," Ganguly told India Today.

"I believe they have got the capability under Virat's leadership, who I think is a fantastic cricketer and a good leader. Under his leadership, they have got the capability but they haven't gone to England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand under his leadership so I think it's not even close to being judged on their capabilities. I wish them all the best when they travel to South Africa and as I said, I believe they can win there and they can put up a good performance.

"It's too early to say, you only say after they have completed the entire circle of home and away. They have just done the home bit, I think 90 percent of cricket they played in those nine series wins were at home and then they go away now for the remaining about 15 Test matches on the trot away. So if they can do well, yes why not," he said.

India's 1-0 series win against Sri Lanka is their ninth successive Test series win and they have now matched Australia's streak of nine consecutive series wins from 2005-06 to 2008. In this sequence of nine series, India have won six series at home and three away. Australia also had six home and three away series wins on their record. India now have a chance of making it 10 in a row and for that they need to beat South Africa in the upcoming three-match Test series. However, it must be noted that no Indian side has ever achieved that feat in the South African conditions.

"I just get a feeling that the captain wants a team who can win abroad. Virat Kohli's legacy will be what he does in the next 12 months in South Africa, England, and Australia and then in the World Cup in 2019. Of course, that 21 number will come, maybe next series or the one after. He is going to captain India for a while, he is going to play for a while so that is going to come at some stage.

"What will be important for Virat is not just numbers but the legacy. When you judge captain, how good they are, whether they are greats or all-time greats, it's also about the legacy and about what they do. As I said 15 Test matches to follow, if he does well, wins a series away and does well in England, South Africa, and Australia, he will be hailed as one of the greats," he added.