Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur praises Virat Kohli as the one of the best he has ever seen

New Delhi: Thanks to a terrific ton by Azhar Ali, Pakistan got off to a flying start against West Indies in the first ever Day-Night Test match with Pink ball in Asia.

In the build-up to the match, Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur spoke to The Telegraph had special praise for Virat Kohli.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:-

Q In Test captain Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan, you have two outstanding batsmen in your team... Well, what are your views on Virat Kohli?

A I love watching Virat... He's phenomenal and is one batsman I sit down and watch whenever he comes to the crease. He's right up there with the best I've seen... I still recall his 141 in the second innings of the Adelaide Test almost two years ago. He'd got a hundred (115) in the first innings as well.

Arthur further praised Kohli's captaincy saying, "Virat's an interesting captain... He's exuberant and very passionate about what he does. His passion for the top job comes through in abundance."

When asked about his views on India taking over the No. 1 spot from Pakistan in Test rankings, Arthur said, "Rankings don't reveal everything, but are an indication of the success you taste as a team... Other things too have to be taken into account... As coach, I want every player to get better and better. I get the maximum satisfaction when I work with a young player and he responds with performances. More than the rankings, it's about competing at a certain level and attaining success. I can cite the example of Younis."

Micky was also monitoring the India-New Zealand series closely as Pakistan heat to New Zealand for two Tests immediately after the three-match series against the West Indies.

The Pakistan coach also drew comparisons between Virat Kohli, AB de Villers, Joe Root, David Warner – calling all of them as phenomenal.