Virat Kohli ‘not greater than the game’, R Ashwin says India won’t miss him in England Tests: ‘He played and he left’

There is no doubt about the fact that Virat Kohli's retirement has taken some shine off Test cricket, which might require another cricketer or two to rise and polish it again. But Ravichandran Ashwin is not ready to credit Test cricket's past, present and future to any particular individual. In his opinion, it is the game that makes the players and not the other way around. India's Ravichandaran Ashwin, left, shares a light moment with Virat Kohli(AP)

"I do not think anybody who has played the game, or will play the game, is higher than the game itself. Nobody that walks the park does good for the game – the game does good or bad by them," Ashwin told RevSportz when asked about Virat Kohli being "ambassador" of Test cricket and whether the next generation can do a similar job in maintaining the format's popularity, wich is forever in question ever since rapid growth of T20 cricket.

Kohli captained the Indian Test side at a time when T20Is and franchise leagues had already started to dent the popularity of red-ball cricket. Despite this, he was an aggressive advocate of the format's importance and always encouraged youngsters across the globe to measure their success by their performance in Test matches.

"I love Virat, but he has come, played the game, left the game, left it at a great place. And now, it is for someone else to take it forward," Ashwin said.

‘Looking forward to the attitude of Pant and Gill’: Ashwin

The former India all-rounder, who was the first among the current stalwarts of Indian cricket to announce retirement this year, said it will be up to India's next generation under new captain Shubman Gill and vice captain Rishabh Pant to carry the legacy created by the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli forward.

"Now looking forward to the attitude and desire of talents like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel to take it ahead. It’s time to see if they can replicate the intense energy that players like Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar showed on the field all these years. Having said that, it is everyone’s responsibility in the team to show that energy and desire," he added.

A few days after India captain Rohit Sharma bid adieu to the longest format of the game, Kohli decided to announce his Test retirement. The decisions came barely a week before India announced their squad for the England tour. For the first time in nearly a decade and a half, India's Test team will be without Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin in an important overseas tour.

Ashwin the experience of 300 Test matches will definitely be missed but he is looking forward to see how the Shubman Gill-led goes in the five-match Test series, starting June 20.

"It is a very interesting Test series, and I am very excited to see what unfolds. The amount of exposure the current generation of cricketers have is unbelievable. When you look at a Sai Sudharsan who would probably make his debut in this Test series, he has actually faced a Mitchell Starc, a Kagiso Rabada, a Pat Cummins, a Gerald Coetzee, and a Josh Hazlewood. Now, he will be embarking on his English tour, but it won’t be too alien as it would have been in the absence of IPL. He has also played at Surrey, so he knows a bit about playing at The Oval. Vikram Solanki is his coach at Gujarat Titans, so IPL is really a factor that builds up the confidence for today’s cricketers. So, I am really excited for both Indian boys, as well as to see the approach of the English boys," he added.

Click here to read article