David Gower: When Virat Kohli talks, a lot of people listen

The future of Test cricket hangs in the balance with the modern day cricketer opting to ply his trade in the shorter formats of the game - T20s. However, cricket veterans and critics are fighting hard to preserve the beauty of Test cricket which was big during the late 90’s but has begun to lose its charm with today’s generation.

Former England Test cricketer, David Gower, at the inaugural Ranji Memorial Public Conversation on Cricket in London spoke about how it was important to preserve the essence of the longer format in today’s world. Gower heaped praise on the comments made by Virat Kohli, during India’s 4-1 Test series loss in England this year, as the latter echoed his support for the longer format of the game.

“We had a fantastic series against India, closer than the margin suggests. It is a reflection of the balance of power if Virat says that – you’ve got a lot of people who will listen,” explained Gower in London.

The Indian captain insisted that Test cricket was the “most beautiful format of the game” despite the fame which surrounded the shorter formats. Gower further added that the introduction of a World Test Championship from next year will help provide greater context for matches.

Kohli, who is the top-ranked Test batsman in the world, will hopefully lead India to their first Test-series win in Australia in the upcoming four-match campaign.