Test cricket can’t find a better ambassador than Virat Kohli: Ian Chappell

Test cricket is a tradition that should be preserved. It needs ambassadors to promote the purest form of the game, and that someone is none other than India captain Virat Kohli. After taking reigns as the captain of the Test side in 2014, the quality of Indian Test cricket has improved significantly. 

India remained atop the ICC Test rankings and won the Test Championship Maces for five years in a row (2017-2021). Virat Kohli's comment about the longevity of Test cricket during a press conference piqued Ian Chappell's interest.

"In a revealing and thoughtful interview during the Trent Bridge match, the current poster boy for Test cricket, Virat Kohli, made an interesting observation. When asked about the murky future of the game's longest form, he replied: It depends on the quality of cricket; it's the players who keep Test cricket alive," Ian Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.

Test cricket needs a voice, and none better than Kohli, says Chappel

"If those skills are properly honed, a player can adapt to any length of the game - Kohli being a good example. If players truly believe Test cricket is the pinnacle then they need to agitate for a summit on the game's future; they could do no better than appoint Kohli their spokesperson," he further wrote.

Chappell emphasised the importance of developing players for Test cricket at the grassroots level.

“The skills required to excel at Test level need to be acquired at a young age and then honed in tough competition as the player rises through the grades. This can only be achieved if enough countries have a functional development system. If this is the case then Test cricket can remain vibrant, otherwise, it will wither on the vine," said Chappell.

[With ESPNCricinfo input]