Intense battle between Rohit & Kohli doing much good for Indian cricket

Battle between Rohit and Kohli is good for india.

By Madan Mohan

In stark contrast to the first match of the ODI series between India and West Indies, India coasted to competitive target of 270 in the second fixture at Vizag, thanks to a 163-run fourth wicket partnership. The result was heartening for Indian fans but didn’t always make for the most thrilling viewing. But the fourth-wicket pair itself provided an interesting context. Virat Kohli struck his 8th ODI century and Rohit Sharma collected a big half century in the ongoing battle for Test and ODI middle-order berths.

The match situation was quite similar to the first final of the CB Series at Sydney in Australia in 2008. Then too, Rohit walked in with the top order not quite having done its job and with one batsman off to a good start. Sharma then showed unexpected calm to support Sachin Tendulkar well even as the latter struck an unbeaten century to win the match for India.

Right then, Virat Kohli led the Under-19 Indian team to a World Cup title, fuelling talk of his eventual promotion to the regular side. Rohit’s calm then offered a reassuring alternative to Robin Uthappa, who repeatedly flattered to deceive. We thought Rohit surely belonged if he could hold his nerve in a big final against world champions Australia and was here to stay.

A different script was in store for both players. Kohli rose rather quickly through the ranks and shrugged off early setbacks to establish himself as a regular fixture in the Indian ODI middle- order. Meanwhile, Rohit failed to step up and realise his potential and also lost his rhythm as India chopped and changed middle-order spots. At the World Cup 2011, Kohli was one of the important batting contributors for India while Rohit didn’t even make the team.

Yuvraj Singh’s health and a revival of his personal form has seen Rohit get a lifeline. With the tour of Australia coming up, middle-order spots in both the Test and ODI batting lineups are up for grabs. There is only one Test berth available currently and competition is particularly intense for it. And so, two players who possibly depended on the other failing to shine for their own ascendancy were left with the task of steadying India’s ship at Vizag.

It’s the kind of irony that cricket throws up. To make it even more intriguing, since both players have done what was asked of them, status quo prevails. The parallels to Sydney 2008 too didn’t stop there. In spite of his lazy elegance and technical finesse, there’s something about Rohit’s batting that never gives you total comfort and you wonder if his next blunder is just around the corner. At Vizag too, it was Kohli who controlled the chase and looked the steadier of the two, even though Rohit struck some beauties as usual. You somehow got the feeling that left to himself, Rohit might blow it and it was Kohli’s influence that kept his streakiness in check.

Unlike Sydney, though, Kohli was first out of the duo and it fell upon Rohit to perform the last rites, which he duly did. And Vizag is obviously a far cry from Sydney. One wonders if Kohli’s expansive, lofted cover-drives would come off quite so well in Australia. At Sydney, it was the master himself mentoring the apprentice even as he himself had a job to do. At Vizag, it was more a question of two young guns of whom one has a head start. Should Kohli disappoint in Australia, Rohit will be snapping at his heels, given his happy hunting days from his previous trip to this country.

And an unbeaten 90 against the West Indies would surely do his reputation no harm. In 2011, Rohit has taken some significant strides to at least sealing an ODI berth. He is showing signs of the consistency that we craved for from him. And even as other talents emerge who utilise their opportunities better than him, he continues to be the most ‘good-looking’ of India’s younger crop of batsmen. It doesn’t seem fair that two deserving talents would be pitted against each other for coveted international spots but that’s cricket for you. And in doing their job eminently well for the national team, Kohli and Rohit have ensured this little tussle will ensue for some more time in the future. Hopefully, it also spurs them to better and better performances and, in turn, more victories for India.

(Madan Mohan, a 25-year old CA from Mumbai, is passionate about writing, music and cricket. Writing on cricket is like the icing on the cake)