India in Australia: Virat Kohli Next in Line as Captain but Don't Rush Him, Says Sunil Gavaskar

All eyes will on Virat Kohli when India take on hosts Australia in Adelaide on Tuesday. In the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni who will sit out of the contest, Kohli will lead the team for the first time in Tests. However, former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar warns against putting to much pressure the 26-year-old.

Speaking to NDTV, Gavaskar admitted that Kohli may be next in line to take over India's reigns but to rush him would be wrong. "I think it's pretty much understood as far as Indian cricket is concerned that Virat is the next in line. I just fail to understand this hurry to anoint him as skipper, " said the former India captain. "This (captaining in the Adelaide Test) is just a one-off situation and a one-off situation is a lot better because there would be less pressure on him.    

Gavaskar further added that the Adelaide contest should let Kohli feel what leading in Tests is all about. "We should not have huge expectations from him. The first Test would just let him feel what Test captaincy is about. Even in Tests, captains grow with every match. They learn from experience and their mistakes," said Gavaskar on the eve of the match. "This would be a great learning curve from him and we should just ease off." (Approaching milestones from the series)

Kohli though has hardly eased off from taking on the Australian threat. Replying to Mitchell Johnson's plans of using bouncers to the maximum, Kohli has previously said that his batsmen are ready. Gavaskar too felt that Indian batsmen need to shoulder the responsibility with the bowlers. "Adelaide is one of the best batting tracks in the world. Our batsmen just have to get used to the bounce before they unfurl their shots," he said. "Our batsmen must support the bowlers." (Knowing Adelaide conditions will help India, says Rohit Sharma)

To expect the Australian team to be slightly mellowed after the tragic death of Phillip Hughes though would be a mistake. Gavaskar praised the hosts and said their professionalism will make for a tough battle. "These are all professional cricketers, so all are trained to forget about the previous ball and focus on the next ball," he said. "Perhaps the verbal aggressiveness might not be there and I think that will only be for the better of the game. But I think as the Test match progresses, certainly you will find that the match will be just like the past." (Shane Watson expects Clarke to hit a ton to honour Hughes)

With several milestones approaching for players from both teams, the much-awaited series promises to get off to an exciting start. Gavaskar, therefore, says past overseas Test performances must be forgotten and new tales scripted Down Under.