<p>Virat Kohli (left) seeks the blessings of Bishan Singh Bedi during the DDCA's annual conclave at the Feroze... Read More

NEW DELHI: The early winter evening at the Ferozeshah Kotla here in the Capital on Wednesday was about celebrating its greats as the two stands named after Bishan Singh Bedi and Mohinder Amarnath were unveiled two days ahead of the final Test against Sri Lanka.

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The spirit of Delhi cricket could be felt around the Hill B stand at the Kotla as the legends - Amarnath in particular - showcased the unapologetic, in-your-face demeanour of the quintessential Delhi cricketer, narrating their storied evolution in Indian cricket. Indian skipper Virat Kohli wasn't about to be left behind. He raked up the most disturbing debate over the future of Test cricket.

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"I see only Unmukt Chand sitting here. But I want to tell all of the young generation, please focus on the longer format of the game," Kohli, as bold as ever, was in the middle of making an important statement. "I believe Test cricket is paramount for the game to sustain globally. Test cricket is fighting for its survival at the moment. Youngsters need to take to Test cricket for it to survive, not only in our country but globally," he added.

Of late, Kohli has been vocal about the scheduling and planning of series. Ahead of each of the two preceding Tests in the ongoing series, the skipper has highlighted the need to think about the fans while playing one particular team very frequently, and the cramped schedule which hinders his team preparations for a big series.

Kohli's statements have added to the to-be-addressed list of the Indian cricket board which is in the throes of going through the process of sweeping reforms. The Indian skipper's words on Wednesday have only lent credence to what Bedi has been advocating for.

"In our days, Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy were stairs to the national team. But these days, the young boys look at these tournaments only as a means to get a lucrative IPL contract. If you are not playing for the Indian team, you should be playing Ranji trophy. It's sad to see India players have started avoiding Ranji Trophy," Bedi made his point.

