Arjuna Ranatunga
Former Sri Lankan skipper feels his 1996 World Cup-winning team could have defeated Rohit Sharma's men in three days
Sri Lankan cricket legend and world-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga has said his 1996 squad could have defeated Rohit Sharma's Test team in a Test match on Indian soil in just three days.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Arjuna Ranatunga, who guided Sri Lanka to clinch the 1996 World Cup by defeating Australia, said: "With bowlers like (Chaminda) Vaas and Murali (Muttiah Muralidaran), that team of mine would have beaten India in India in three days."
New Zealand showed the Indian Test squad's vulnerability on the home soil by beating Sharma's men last year.
India's poor show in the longest format continued after Australia beat the T20 World Cup champions on their soil to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Also Read: Australia faces massive double injury blow for Champions Trophy, Cummins and Hazlewood likely to miss tournament
Following two back-to-back series defeats, India failed to reach the final of World Test Championship for the first time since the tournament's inception in 2019-2021.
Australia, current champions, will fight to defend the title against South Africa this year.
South Africa reached the final for the first time.
Virat Kohli's future
Speaking on Virat Kohli, Ranatunga said he should decide on his future.
“For a player like Kohli who has scored so much of runs, I feel it’s best if that’s left to him. It’s a call that Kohli needs to take, so let him take it. Why always have the spotlight on him? It’s quite unnecessary I feel. It’s his decision, so let him take that," he said.
Ranatunga, one of the successful left-handed batsman to play for Sri Lanka, represented the national side in 93 Tests and 269 ODIs.
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