Published: Sep 23, 2011, 11:09 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2014, 02:16 AM (IST)
Virat Kohli hit his sixth international century in the final ODI against England © Getty Images
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
Virat Kohli’s century in the final One-Day International (ODI) of India’s disastrous tour of England is a sign of his willingness to learn and the urge to do well in testing times. It was an innings of character as he had been through a lean phase since the start of the West Indies Test series. His Test debut in the West Indies didn’t go according to plan and that shaky run continued into the England ODIs. The hundred he scored at Cardiff thus came as a huge confidence booster.
Prior to the start of the England ODI series, Kohli was India’s star performer in the warm-up games. He scored two fifties in the three fixtures against the English county sides and it looked like he had made the requisite adjustment to the English conditions. His fifty in the first ODI at Durham gave one the feeling that he was rearing to go in the series and would be amongst the runs for India. However, scores of 9, 7 and 16 in the next three games were a dampener.
His knock at Cardiff was very different from his other successful outings in international cricket. The pressure was immense after a series of failures. Understandably, there would have been self doubts in his mind. The three failures in England were because he was in a hurry to do things in the middle. He didn’t look very comfortable and wasn’t able to rotate the strike with ease. At Cardiff, he was ready to change all those perceptions and make amends.
The spotlight was on his senior partner Rahul Dravid, who was playing his last ODI. Hailed as the next Dravid in some corners of the cricketing fraternity, Kohli started off like the original “Wall” by playing himself in and then opening up. He kept rotating strike and avoided doing anything silly. The singles and the doubles kept coming as he kept the scoreboard ticking which automatically increased India’s run rate. Once he got his eye in he was ready to play the expansive shots and score quick runs.
The best part about his innings was the way he chose his big shots. It was almost as if he had a map of the field in his mind and could place the ball with geometric precision. Even though some of the strokes were hit in the air, there wasn’t any risk involved as they were played in the safe areas. In the end he was out hit wicket.
Some might say that we shouldn’t jump to any conclusions on the basis of one knock. But one must remember that the knock at Cardiff is of psychological value. It was a knock that would have given him belief. India have a packed schedule in the coming months and Kohli would like to replicate his success in Test cricket. He has the technique, the talent and the temperament but needs another opportunity to showcase his true class in the arena that “tests” the best of the best.
With Suresh Raina having a tough time in the Test series in England, the doors may open for Kohli in the Test line-up. India will play West Indies at home and Kohli may get another look-in to better his record in the classical version of the game. If he gets to play in that series and manages to create an impact, he will board the plane to Australia for the Test series later this year.
For now, his focus would be on the Champions League T20 (CLT20) as he will turn up for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kohli isn’t the typical T20 player who hops around the crease, plays unorthodox shots etc but can be equally effective with his orthodox approach. He is a refreshing young talent who bats the classical way in a format where players of his age aim to defy the coaching manuals. Indian fans should hope that he remains the same as this young cricketer promises to bring laurels to their country in all the formats!
(Nishad Pai Vaidya, a 21-year-old law student, is a club and college-level cricketer. His teachers always complain, “He knows the stats and facts of cricket more than the subjects we teach him.)
