Virat Kohli's stepping down from Test captaincy undoubtedly marks the end of the most successful era of Indian Test cricket. The Kohli-led team has achieved a great deal in the past seven years but certainly there was scope for more. The fact that so much has been already achieved by Kohli as a captain cannot justify or cover up his abrupt quitting. The sense of loss among Indian cricket lovers is more than what is being articulated. Kohli stands fourth among the most successful captains in Test history — after Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41). He was just one match short of equaling Steve Waugh and eight matches short of equaling Ponting. One could of course argue that all records are not meant to be broken by a particular player but Kohli was very much on the way and his exit is far from normal. The prospective prestige of seeing an Indian captain reign supreme in the most basic format of cricket being played today is shattered — perhaps in a very negative environment. The transition, of course, was inevitable. But it could have panned out in a better fashion that would have benefitted the team. At least for the time being, Indian Test cricket appears to be in a flux. One is forced to wonder whether Kohli is solely responsible for this imbroglio. Certainly not, current situation also points towards the unprofessional approach of BCCI in handling its communications and players, which has hitherto been hidden under the domineering performance of the team. A change in approach is needed at this point of time so as to prevent things from getting worse in the future. Kohli's resignation is a culmination of the controversy that started a month ago, and was never addressed convincingly. This doesn't suit one of the world's most powerful cricket boards which is bestowed with the responsibility of managing the world's best team. It reflects its inability to absorb shocks when things get a bit awry. The problem has persisted with the board all throughout its history and the situation appears no different today. There is no doubt that the team is capable of getting its nick back in no time, thanks to the extraordinary pool of talents we have. This should not prevent the board from stepping out of complacency and smoothen its functioning. Merely terming Kohli's captaincy quitting as his personal decision may not be enough. The whole lot of factors that have contributed to this situation need to be assessed to make sure that negativity doesn't creep in the team. Positivity is an inseparable part of sports, compromising with which only leads to decline in performance. It affects the body language and spirit of sportspersons. What sport remains without these abstracts? We saw India — the leading contenders of 2021 T20 World Cup — being knocked out because the spirit and the body language of players was missing in the initial two matches. Even the loss against South Africa can partly be attributed to this factor. Given the high standards of Indian cricket, it won't be a tough task to proceed forward from here, without Kohli. But what is lost is lost. And what needs to be improved, that needs to be improved. As for Kohli, he doesn't need to justify his prowess in words — stats do it quite well. Ever since Kohli took over the reins from MS Dhoni in 2014, his individual and team performance has been so phenomenal that could envy the best of cricketing stalwarts across the globe. He has won 40 of the 68 Test matches in which he led the team — a winning percentage touching around 60. The series loss in South Africa is just his fifth loss in the seven-year long stint as captain. Kohli's captaincy figures in ODIs and T20s has been equally resounding. It won't be wrong to say that such a bright and resilient team leader failed to hold his nerve in a bad phase. Everything said and done, Indian cricket lovers have no other option than to get habitual of seeing Kohli in a players' role only. His spirited leadership, his aggression and his boldness will largely be missed on the ground. It can just be hoped that Kohli has already infused the youngsters with his indomitable spirit, and the next team leader will exhibit matching exuberance, perhaps in his own distinct style. Kohli now can focus unilaterally on further sharpening his batting skills. It is time when he learns from the masters like Tendulkar and Dravid who fought when things were not going their way. Perhaps consistency and character were the crowning jewels of Tendulkar that set him apart from all others. Skills are tested in rough phases. More power to the team, Kohli and the board.