Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke has said the humiliating defeat in Pune will test Virat Kohli’s character as a captain. The Indian team’s 19-match unbeaten streak came to an end with a 333-run loss against Australia in Pune.

Speaking to India Today, Clarke said:

“I think this is a really good test for Virat Kohli’s captaincy. He’s had a lot of success captaining the team in his own backyard and this is now his opportunity to really support his players and try and get the best out of them. I think the best captains in the world generally do that.”

Clarke also had a word of praise for Kohli’s exceptional display with the bat in recent times. The India skipper had a rare poor outing in the white flannels as he was dismissed for a duck and 13 in the match.

“Virat Kohli’s performances are unbelievable. He is such an amazing player and I really love watching him bat. I think there’s a lot of similarities in his batting with Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin was an idol, he was unbelievable,” Clarke said.

Clarke further backed Kohli to pick his team up from the disastrous defeat and expressed his excitement for the second Test, which begins in Bengaluru on March 4.

“But Kohli should know that there’s more to captaincy than just scoring runs. You need to pick you players up when they need a lift and then also have that conversation with them when it is needed. This is a really good opportunity for Kohli. He’s a good enough player he’s shown that and I believe he’s a good enough captain to get his team back up and that’s why I can’t wait to see the second Test in Bangalore,” he said.

Speaking over the much-debated comparison between Kohli and Steven Smith, he said:

“Virat Kohli is such a stylish player and Steven Smith is exactly the same. I think they have a battle going on individually as well which is a great contest and which is going to be great for all of our viewers to watch and follow.”