"I am sure that would have been Virat Kohli's thinking" - Gautam Gambhir lauds former skipper's contribution to Indian Test cricket

Gautam Gambhir has showered huge praise on Virat Kohli for developing Team India's pace attack.

Kohli reached the 100-Test milestone in the recently concluded first game against Sri Lanka in Mohali. The Indian batting mainstay also led the side in 68 of these encounters.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir was asked about his views on Kohli achieving the significant milestone. He responded:

"Massive achievement and not only because he is playing his 100th Test but he captained for such a long time. He developed the Indian pace bowling attack. Their actual development, whether it was related to fitness or skill - Umesh Yadav or Mohammed Shami, using Jasprit Bumrah in overseas conditions, I am sure that would have been Virat Kohli's thinking, he [Bumrah] is playing just his third or fourth Test in India. A captain only prepares all these strategies."

The former India cricketer highlighted that Kohli has passed on a more lethal seam-bowling combination to Rohit Sharma than what he got from MS Dhoni. Gambhir observed:

"MS Dhoni got all these fast bowlers when they were extremely raw. On the pace bowling front, the team Rohit Sharma has got is much better than what Virat Kohli got from MS Dhoni. So you will have to give credit to Virat here."

Gambhir added that the Indian team under Sourav Ganguly would have enjoyed much greater success if they had a pace bowling lineup like the current outfit.

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"Longevity" - Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli having played his 100th Test

Virat Kohli is regarded as one of the modern batting greats

Gautam Gambhir also reflected on Kohli's personal achievement of reaching the 100-Test mark. He said:

"Longevity, when you start playing cricket, you only think of playing just one Test match for India, to get that Test cap and the Test number. It is the same case with everyone, no one has ever thought that he would play 100 Test matches."

The 40-year-old added that the milestone is a reflection of Kohli's immense contributions to Team India over the years. Gambhir elaborated:

"But very few people have completed the journey from the first to 100 Tests. If you play the 100th Test, it means you have done something special for India for a very long period, and done well in all situations and conditions."

Kohli became the 12th Indian cricketer to play 100 Tests. He also crossed the 8000-run mark during the Mohali Test but will hope to end his more than two-year-long century drought in Bengaluru.