Can Captain Kohli repeat Ganguly, Dravid, Kapil's Test success in England?

Since his forgettable 2014 England outing, Kohli has evolved as a more complete player; a successful 2018 Test series will be a stamp on his claim as a player who can score anywhere and against anyone

Virat Kohli has a ghost to bury in England. The Indian captain ranks as one of the best batsmen in the world currently, boasting a career average of 53.40 in Tests. In the old England, however, his record is far less flattering. He has played just one series in England, in 2014, and there he had a miserable time, averaging just 13. As the years rolled by, Kohli evolved into a far more complete player, and a successful England tour this time will be a stamp on his claim as one player who can score anywhere and against anyone.  

But Kohli’s is just a sub-plot of a far greater story of India as they eye their first Test series win in England in 11 years. So, when India take the field chasing this record at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham today, captain Kohli will need to lead from the front.

And he has done that on so many other occasions. As a captain, Kohli has tasted victory in 21 of the 35 games played so far, quite an impressive feat. During his time as skipper, his Indian side has played some superb and flamboyant cricket overseas in One Day Internationals (ODIs), but they have failed to replicate the performance in Test matches. But, most of these victories have come on dusty, turning wickets of the Indian sub-continent. Shikhar Dhawan, K L Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya are likely to play the first Test against England today, but they are not the greatest advertisement for the temperament that India is looking for outside of the sub-continent. And, this is where Kohli, the captain, steps in.

Kohli is competitive and he admits it, flaunts it, and is even proud of it. He carries this temperament to his role as a captain, too. After narrowly losing his first Test match as a captain, Kohli said, "(the) team was looking for a win and not a draw". If he can inject some of his optimistic enthusiasm into his players, India will have a good case to do what has seemed to be "undoable".

For India to succeed, Kohli will have to take some bold decisions on the field, like Sourav Ganguly, who once decided to bat first at Headingley in overcast condition, or Rahul Dravid's aggressive captaincy when he kept catching fielders during India's last series win in England in 2007.

Here's how Kohli can draw inspiration from former captains:

Rahul Dravid in 2007

After India's early exit from the ICC World Cup 2007 in the West Indies, Rahul Dravid found himself under tremendous pressure as skipper during the England tour. But 'The Wall' ended his captaincy career on a high by clinching the test series 1-0, with the other two Tests in the three-match series ending in draw. India escaped a defeat in the first Test at Lord's, with M S Dhoni stepping in to rescue. And Zaheer Khan bowled superbly, swinging the ball both ways to wreak havoc among England batsmen, especially in the Test at Trent Bridge, where he claimed 4/59 and 5/75 in the two innings. Series result: 1-0

Sourav Ganguly in 2002

India lost the first Test at Lord’s, but registered one of their most memorable overseas Test wins at Headingley in Leeds, with Ganguly’s bold decision to bat first on an overcast morning, illustrating his confidence in the players. The southpaw himself struck an elegant 128, but it was Rahul Dravid’s 148 at number 3 that set the tone for the victory. In the end, there was nothing to separate the two teams and the four-Test series ended in a 1-1 draw. Series result: 1-1

Kapil Dev in 1986

During the India tour of England in 1986, Kapil Dev was under immense pressure (India had not won any of its 20 Test matches with Dev as captain). But what's Kapil Dev if not a record-maker? In the first match at Lord's, the legendary all-rounder took four wickets for 52 runs in the second innings before making a quickfire 23 to win the game for India. The win gave Dev's boys immense confidence and they defeated England by 279 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead and finally win the 3-match series. Series result: 1-1