Virat Kohli's naysayers have it wrong - he's exactly the captain India need

Aditya Devavrat 09:13 07/03/2018
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  • Brash Virat Kohli is roaring his way to success.

    The ongoing T20 tri-series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh has given India an opportunity to rest captain Virat Kohli, with more important engagements in England and Australia later this year.

    But while India’s selectors have given Kohli a break, commenters on the game haven’t.

    The latest salvo came from former Australia captain Steve Waugh, who, speaking at last week’s Laureus Awards, said the India skipper’s aggression during the tour of South Africa was “a little over the top” and that Kohli needs to “rope in his excitement and emotions.”

    The comments followed ex-South Africa captain Graeme Smith saying Kohli may not be India’s best long-term leadership option, after the second Test of the series, which India lost 2-1 before winning the ODI and T20 legs.

    That Test saw Kohli visibly displeased with teammates over misfields, bowling errors, and batting dismissals. Trailing the series 1-0, India needed at least a draw to keep the series alive, and as the match slipped away, Kohli struggled to contain his frustration.

    He was also criticised for his prickly media interactions, responding abrasively to any criticism.

    But the team’s turnaround over the rest of the tour made it clear: Kohli’s leadership is as crucial to India’s success as his sublime batting.

    It is definitely disheartening to see Kohli berating fielders, or getting angry when other batsmen get out. It’s also part of his job – he’s not the first captain to bark at a teammate, and he won’t be the last.

    A bigger concern was the way Kohli essentially forced out Anil Kumble as India coach last year, because he didn’t match the captain’s aggression. Ultimately, this was a professional disagreement, and the two are seemingly on amicable terms – Kumble attended Kohli’s wedding reception, if that means anything – but it left a bad taste.

    These are areas Kohli needs to improve. Smith is right in saying that while Kohli’s intensity is good for him, it might grate on teammates. His obsession with a narrow definition of aggression may have cost India a man like Kumble, as well as the South Africa series, as decisions not to play Ajinkya Rahane in the first two Tests and drop Bhuvaneshwar Kumar for the second Test made little sense.

    But it should be remembered that Kohli’s captaincy is only three years old. He’s still growing as a leader.

    He’s already immeasurably improved India. The team’s ground fielding, already among the best thanks to MS Dhoni, has risen a few notches due to Kohli’s emphasis on fitness.

    Significantly, his attitude has empowered India’s rising stars. Hardik Pandya is the biggest beneficiary, while Yuzvendra Chahal, who also plays under Kohli in the IPL, and fellow wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav have thrived. The entire pace attack has benefited from his aggression.

    Having Kohli's backing has done wonders for Pandya.

    Having Kohli’s backing has done wonders for Pandya.

    Meanwhile, the noise surrounding Kohli’s sledging is overblown. Of the series in which Kohli has captained, only last year’s series against Australia was ill-tempered – and anyone from Australia complaining about sledging is hypocrisy bordering on the ridiculous.

    Waugh was the self-proclaimed champion of “mental disintegration”; another former captain, Michael Clarke, once told England’s James Anderson to “get ready for a f***ing broken arm”.

    Australia are notorious for peddling the “hard but fair” line for their own sledging but bristling when anyone crosses an invisible line only they can see. Waugh’s criticism should be taken with a bucketful of salt.

    What Kohli is guilty of is smashing the stereotype of the genteel Indian. He follows a generation of cricketers who were unflinchingly polite – players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman would respond to barbs with smiles and deadly batting.

    That has remained the impression of how an Indian cricketer “should” behave, and there is a sense of residual colonial attitude to attacking an Indian who behaves differently.

    But these cricketers were led by Sourav Ganguly – another brash leader who got under the opposition’s skin. Kohli saw how Ganguly’s attitude helped the Indian team flourish, while never sidelining the “nice guys”.

    All the current captain has done is take that to another level – and take India to No1 in the Test and ODI rankings in the process. The naysayers have it wrong: Kohli is exactly the leader India need.

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