#TFGtake: Why Kohli can help India win test matches regularly

VIRAT KOHLI has now led India in 11 Test matches and already, the maestro has impressive numbers to show. Under Kohli, the Indian team has won six Tests, drawn three and lost, only two. Kohli took over the mantle from MS Dhoni in the final Test at Sydney in January 2015. Since then, India has won an overseas series against Sri Lanka, decimated the Proteas back home and are sitting pretty with a 1-0 lead over the Windies in the ongoing four-match series in the Caribbean. 

While we don’t intend to draw comparisons between Kohli and his predecessors, but we do believe that the 27-year-old has the cricketing acumen, leadership qualities and above all the insatiable hunger to keep winning. Virat has always come across as an aggressive cricketer, wearing his heart on his sleeve. But perhaps, his biggest strength lies in his ability to walk the talk. 

There is no doubt that Kohli learned many tricks of the trade, being a deputy to Dhoni, but we are convinced that Kohli with his own, gutsy, at times, unconventional approach will lead India to plenty of glory in Test cricket going ahead. 

Kohli has always, openly expressed his desire to succeed in Test cricket and his execution on the field is often an indicator as to how seriously he takes the format. Unlike many other contemporary captains, his attitude to Tests is refreshing to see. Here, we look at those rare, but important ingredients a captain must have to succeed in Tests, and fortunately for India, Kohli has them all! 

Five front-line bowlers theory  

Kohli has often fancied going into a Test with five bowlers. In only his second Test as a captain, Kohli fielded five specialist bowlers in Galle. Thereafter, he repeated this during the only Test against Bangladesh. Kohli also went into the first Test against the South Africans at Mohali last year with the same approach and India won that game comfortably. And, the skipper once again put an end to all the speculation by playing five front-line bowlers against the Windies in Antigua last week. 

From Azharuddin, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid to Dhoni, Indian captains in the past have always been hesitant to play five specialist bowlers. However, Kohli, till now has busted that theory and has shown little qualms in sacrificing a batsman to accommodate a genuine wicket-taking option. As the old adage goes: You need to pick 20 wickets to win Tests. A team might score 500, but unless the bowlers take 20 wickets, a team doesn't win the game. Kohli realizes this fact and has hardly refrained from fielding five bowlers if the situation demanded so. 

Readiness to take harsh decisions 

Every captain at some point needs to take a few harsh decisions, purely for the betterment of the team. As we have seen in the past, many Indian captains have hesitated to give some reputed names, the cold shoulder. However, Kohli is known to take bold decisions. During the Sri Lankan series, he dropped Cheteshwar Pujara, who was not in the best of form and replaced him with the enigmatic Rohit Sharma. Any other captain, on those batting friendly wickets in Sri Lanka, would not have dared to drop Pujara. But Kohli trusted his instincts and went in with the Mumbai lad. Unfortunately, the move backfired for the first two Tests and immediately, Kohli rectified his error by bringing back the Saurashtra batsman for the third Test, who ended up playing a series winning knock. In the first Test at Antigua too, he dropped the in-form opener, KL Rahul and chose to include the struggling Shikhar Dhawan. Fortunately, the southpaw responded. 

Positive approach- plays for a result 

Unlike many other captains, Kohli enters the Test match with an intention of winning. He plays for the result and doesn’t want to settle for a draw from day one. Kohli’s handsome strike-rate, coupled with the urgency he shows in his running between the wickets is a further testimony to his desperation to win Tests. While many captains around the world would go through their motions and wait for things to manifest, Kohli likes to grab the bull by its horns and go for the kill. As a captain, Kohli likes to dictate pace too. As mentioned above, India has drawn only two games under Kohli. (Weather played spoilsport in Fatullah & Bangalore). Kohli also showed little hesitation in enforcing the follow-on in the first Test at Antigua. Despite knowing that the weather was fine for the rest of day four and five, Kohli chose to finish the match quickly by asking the Windies to bat again. In sharp contrast, England skipper Alastair Cook thought otherwise and further dragged the match at Manchester a few days ago. 

Challenging convention & old school strategies 

Cricket has evolved but some old school tactics are still executed in the game. While Kohli doesn’t disrespect, the tried and tested method, he likes to try and experiment some new strategies. Kohli has often challenged conventional thinking and has not been afraid to operate in an unorthodox fashion. In today’s game, considering how frenetic the pace of the game has become, Kohli knows it’s important to constantly invent and innovate. From setting unorthodox fields to promoting bowling all-rounders up the order, Kohli doesn’t shy away from such bold moves. Who would have thought Ashwin would bat above Wriddhiman Saha at Antigua? Wasn’t that a master-stroke from Virat? 

Believes in leading by example 

Kohli has always been a team player, someone who has always played selflessly for the country. Today, he is arguably the best batsman in the game, let alone in the Indian side. Given Kohli’s talent and form, he is likely to set the tone with the willow on most occasions for the team and that will further help him command respect from this colleagues. Furthermore, Kohli’s commitment, dedication, and hard work towards the game are second to none, and that is exactly how a leader’s approach should be. It’s also not to be forgotten that a few days ago, Kohli said, “As captain, I would never ask the players to do what I cannot do myself first."

Such an honest approach to the game will surely see the entire Indian team respecting Kohli and it is crucial that the skipper commands respect rather than demanding to taste success for a longer period of time.