Ian Chappell points out the ultimate difference between Virat Kohli and Joe Root as captain

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When it comes to some of the finest skippers in world cricket, especially in Tests, Virat Kohli and Joe Root are two of the most prominent names that strike one's mind. The Indian has stepped down from the role following its recent defeat in South Africa. However, the Englishman is still holding on to it despite the embarrassing loss during the Ashes in Australia. Meanwhile, former Australian Ian Chappell has pointed out what separates the two.

As per Chappell, Kohli is an exceptional skipper and a batter, while Root is a delicate batter with no favourable success as the captain. "There's no doubt Kohli was an exception as captain; he didn't curb his enthusiasm, but he was still able to lead the Indian team to a higher level. With the capable assistance of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, he lifted India to overseas success like no other captain had done," he wrote in his column.

"This is a tale of two cricket captains; one very good at his job and the other a failure. The captaincy failure, despite having led his country more times than any other captain, is Joe Root. It doesn't matter what Root or any other English devotee tells you. Root is a fine batter but a poor captain," Chappell added.

Chappell further analysed that Kohli took and carried the legacy of the captaincy from Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni, besides building it one while being in charge for seven years. He also terms Kohli's recent series loss in SA despite leading 1-0 after the opening Test as his most significant loss. He also lauded his passion for thriving well in Tests, which set up the hallmark for Team India in the format.

"Kohli has a number of individual achievements in his resume, none bigger than the development of Rishabh Pant as a wicketkeeper and batter. Kohli tended to get his way when it came to selection, and some of his decisions in this area were a little questionable, but there's no doubting his support of Pant was a masterstroke," Chappell further noted.

As for Root, Chappell affirmed that England was never in line to succeed under him, despite having a decent home record. He reckoned that the Englishman lacked imagination and ran out of ideas, besides displaying minimal gut feeling regarding the sport. He also felt that Root's decision to start the session with a particular bowler made no sense, while some of his tactics were baffling.