Virat Kohli has a long way to go as captain, says Arjuna Ranatunga

IANS

New Delhi: Team India defeated hosts Sri Lanka by an innings and 53 runs on day four of the second Test and thus wrapped up the three-match series in Colombo, with skipper Virat Kohli claiming his 8th consecutive Test series win, but that still hasn't impressed former Lankan cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Ranatunga was full of praise for Kohli as a batsman, but refused to even compare him with some of the top captains that Indian cricket has seen.

"I have seen him as a batsman but I still can’t rate him as a captain. As a batsman, I rate him highly. I am not passing judgment on him as captain; he has a long way to go. If you want me to compare him now with skippers likes (Mohd) Azharuddin, (MS) Dhoni and Kapil Dev, he has a long way to go. I feel they were really top-class captains," said the former Sri Lanka skipper.

When asked about what all changes Kohli needs to bring in himself, Ranatunga advised the Indian captain to tone down his aggression a bit.

"I prefer him to be a little sober (though) I don’t think he will agree with me. We have a culture in our part of the world (India, Sri Lanka) in the sense that we are not as aggressive as the Australians or the English. 

"You need to be aggressive when you have to be aggressive. You don’t have to be aggressive every time. You don’t have to show a lot of aggression when you are the captain. That can percolate down to the team, which is one reason I don’t show it. I get frustrated but I don’t show in the middle. If he asks me, I will say ‘calm down a bit’. He is young, he will learn. Give him five years; he will be a different actor," Ranatunga added.

ICC World No. 1 Test bowler Ravindra Jadeja took five wickets to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 386 during their follow-on in the second session. Dimuth Karunaratne top-scored with a defiant 141.

India lead the series 2-0, with the final match slated to begin on August 12 in Pallekele.