'Virat Kohli a born leader, best captain in the world' – Shahbaz Nadeem

Nadeem made his Test debut in the third and final Test in Ranchi, which India won by an innings and 202 runs, and returned 2/22 and 2/18 in each innings. Despite that, he missed out on selection for the Tests against Bangladesh, with Kuldeep Yadav regaining fitness, but was full of praise for the way Kohli went about captaincy.

"Virat (Kohli) is an amazing captain. I must say he is the best captain in the world," Nadeem told Times of India. "He leads by example. He is a born leader. Not just on the field, (but) also keeps the dressing room atmosphere alive. He helps every bowler on the field. With his aggression and batting prowess, he has taken Indian cricket to another level. This Indian team is the best in the world."

Nadeem accounted for Temba Bavuma and Anrich Nortje in the first innings, and added the scalps of Theunis de Bruyn and Lungi Nqidi in successive balls in the second innings to wrap up the match at his home venue. It was a fine performance on his debut for Nadeem, having waited over a decade to represent the national team, but he was still touched by a gesture from the rest of the team.

“When Virat was given the winners' trophy, he, along with all the team members, asked me to hold the trophy," Nadeem revealed. "I want to thank him for showing confidence in me.

"I am happy that I took four wickets in the match. I have played a lot of domestic matches and have a lot of experience. I want to use all of that experience in my international career. I am happy with my debut. Both of us (Kohli and I) were discussing wickets and different situations during the match. Our plans worked really well against South Africa.”

Nadeem was also full of praise for Rohit Sharma. The Mumbai batsman was a roaring success in his first series as India's Test opener as he scored 529 runs in four innings, including a double-century.

"Rohit has always been a great batsman," said Nadeem. "If you see his record, especially in the last five years, it shows how classy a player he is. He knows how to answer his critics with his bat. We all know his record in limited-overs cricket. When he got the chance in Tests, he made every moment count. He is phenomenal."