Cometh the hour, Cometh the man. This is exactly what Virat Kohli did in the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka, where India comprehensively beat Sri Lanka 5-0. Kohli bats with intimidating authority and seems stimulated rather than intimidated by pressure. There is also a remorseless ambition to his batting; a brash exterior sometimes obscures an unimpeachable work ethic. The alliance of his focus and a divine natural talent makes Kohli quite the package. While modern cricket has a number of young box-office stars, most focus on the shorter form of the game. Kohli, by contrast, still believes in the primacy of Test cricket.
Come December 4th, the Indian team will be out there at the Gabba in Brisbane led by Kohli in the absence of MS Dhoni, who has been ruled out of the first test ,to lock horns against the Australians, who are always dangerous in their own backyard. In most cases the loss of a captain for the first match of an important series would be a disaster. However, in this one it may just turn out to be a good guide to what India’s future will look like. Brisbane will be a tough challenge for Kohli and the Indians. Australia has thrived on the pace at the Gabba and has a 61 percent win record. Australia’s brilliant recent record at the Gabba makes for good reading, but cricket is never played on paper; it is about who performs well on the given day (or five).
Virat Kohli will lead a group of players who are young and inexperienced, but extremely talented. With MS Dhoni not expected to be around for long, especially in the Test Arena, the first test could be an opportunity for Kohli, who is likely to be the long-term successor of Dhoni, to test his skills as a captain and player against one of the best in the world. The upcoming series provides a perfect platform for not on Kohli, but also for the likes of Rahane, Dhawan, and Pujara among others. These young guns will certainly be ready to fire, especially after the hammering they received against England in the summer. The bowling, both the spinners and the seamers, need to pick up regular wickets and ensure that Australia do not build big partnership unlike the last time around, where Australia escaped from precarious positions more than once by providing resistance and built mammoth partnerships. In England, India were battered and bruised in all the tests except the one at Lord’s where they beat England convincingly. This clearly shows that it is not all gloom and doom and there is a ray of hope for the future of Indian cricket.
This Test series is very crucial in determining the first section of what is going to be a long time in Australia with the ODI tri-series lined up after the four Tests and the all important World Cup commencing in February. A good start is essential in whatever that happens and it is no different here. A good performance at the Gabba would lift the confidence immensely and will enable them to perform better. India has much to prove on this Australian tour. While a four-Test series doesn’t have much in common with a demanding World Cup schedule, a good showing here could go a long way to building confidence for their defence of the World Cup .However, first things first—India need to show the world that they are not invincible at home, but easy to beat on the road when it comes to Test cricket.
There’s no disgrace in losing; it’s part of cricketing life. However, what is disgraceful is failing to compete to the best of your ability and continuing to make the same mistakes. That’s what India has done for the bulk of their last two visits to the UK and their most recent tour of Australia. This time around though, things look better and India’s youth have the zeal and passion to perform well at the highest level. It would be unfair to expect India to win the series outright; however, a good performance at the beginning of the series could provide the boost that might enable India to cause an upset.
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