Virat Kohli will change the way Indians play cricket
Buoyed with the recent hat-trick of centuries, flamboyant Indian batsman Virat Kohli led India's verbal onslaught on the Australians, the way the Kangaroos have been attacking other teams with incessant bouts of sledging. After an on-field duel with Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson, the swashbuckling batsman minced no words as he slammed the Australian cricketers in the harshest terms. "Why should I respect Australians when they don't respect anyone else?" he said, stating clearly what brand of cricket he endorses. The comment was also a glimpse of what Indian cricket would be like in the future, for it is almost certain that Dhoni would hand the mantle of the team to Kohli when he retires.
It all started when Kohli was hit on the head with a quick bouncer by Mitchell Johnson in the first Test that was clouded by Phil Hughes' death. Apparently, what riled Kohli more was the concern Australians showed for him. He resented the sympathy. When he completed his century, he kissed his helmet, giving a stern reminder to the Australians that cricket does not stop for anyone. He scored the third century of the series in Melbourne in the third Test. But by then, the greatest rivalry of 2014, the on-field Johnson-Kohli duel had started.
In the third Test, Australians had come with a plan against Kohli. Australians, known for their not-so-kind remarks on the field, were completely at it as they called him a spoilt brat repeatedly throughout his innings. He was goaded into doing something silly. They almost got the better of him as they took out an angry reaction from him when he came in the way of the ball thrown by Johnson while taking a shy at the stumps. He played some lousy shots after that, edging the ball in an inglorious manner, unbecoming of the batsman he is. He regained his composure and did what he does best - bail India out of a grim situation.
If cricket is considered a gentlemen's game, Kohli is certainly not a gentleman. He doesn't have to be until he keeps on hitting one ton after another. He is unlike former Indian greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who just let their bats do the talking. He would respond verbally if the opponents tried to exchange a few words. He would also have no qualms in giving a finger salute to a jeering crowd. He doesn't play for the gallery. He does what he feels like doing. You can call him arrogant. But with the number of runs he has been scoring consistently, he deserves to be arrogant. In Dhoni's absence, Kohli captained Indian team in the first Test. While chasing a mammoth 363, Kohli didn't go for a draw. He took the long shot. India fell just 48 runs short of the win. Despite the loss, Kohli was praised for his intent as a captain. Nothing less than a win was an option for Kohli.
In the middle of the series, a report suggested that Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan had an argument in the dressing room. MS Dhoni, prior to the reports, had mentioned about unrest in the team due to Dhawan's injury. It was said that Kohli was not given time to mentally prepare himself as he had to go in to bat in Dhawan's place. Reportedly, an altercation broke out in the dressing room after Kohli got out cheaply. The report was denied by Dhoni later. However, if it was true, it just goes on to say how hungry Kohli is to score runs for his team and how much he values his stay at the crease. While captaining Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, he had been seen upset with every catch dropped and every single allowed to be stolen. He had been unabashed in backing his team members with aggression whenever an on-field spat broke out. He was there only to win. And he delivered.
The big question is will he bring this aggression and purpose when he leads Team India? He answered this question in this series itself. India would be an aggressive team in the future, under an aggressive captain, who chooses not to hide his emotions. And whenever the team comes out to play, a draw would be akin to a defeat. The players would be allowed to talk and answer back to sledging. Whatever works in the best interest of the team.
After a losing streak overseas and growing prominence of Virat Kohli, a change of guard at team leadership is expected after the 2015 World Cup. Dhoni, who has been the most successful captain India has produced, may be asked to relinquish captaincy in one of the two longer formats of the game to nurture Kohli as a captain. It would be interesting to see whether he would rise to the occasion or goes overboard with his aggression. Either way, he would change the way Indians play cricket. That is for sure.