Gavaskar is convinced that replacing Dhoni with Kohli will be the right move for India

Former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar believes that Virat Kohli is ready to replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the national team’s new Test captain.

Gavaskar noted that Kohli’s solid century during the final Test at Nagpur was an indication that he was capable of batting under pressure, which is exactly what captains should be able to do.

“Till the fourth day of the Nagpur Test, I would have backed Dhoni,” Gavaskar told NDTV. “Now that Virat has come up with a hundred under trying circumstances where he curbed his natural game, he discovered a good part about himself.

“He is ready to take on the mantle of Test cricket [captain]. That needs to be looked at in a positive manner by everyone concerned, as that is where the future lies.”

India’s 2-1 loss was not only a huge embarrassment, but it also gave England their first win in the country in 28 years.

Gavaskar stated that India also needed to be more proactive during the final Test, especially since it was an opportunity for them to end the series as a 2-2 draw.

“India could not get enough wickets on day four,” Gavaskar added. “Also, they doodled around in the first hour on day four. If India had wanted to win the Test, they could have shown some intent by declaring on the overnight total [on day three] or by asking the tailenders to play slam-bang cricket.

“Yes, England batted well. But you do not position a forward-short leg or silly point to get a catch there; you do that to force a batsman to give a catch some place else. Trott or Bell might have done something stupid then. India could have attacked more. But that’s not the only reason India lost. Our bowlers were by and large ineffective.”

The former batsman also criticised many of the senior players for not pulling their weight throughout the series.

“Looking at the Jadeja’s, the Kohli’s … you can easily see there is recognition, an appreciation there for Test cricket,” Gavaskar said. “It is some of the guys who have been around, who have done well in the past that are being a bit casual about it over the last couple of years.”