Virat Kohli: Prolific batsman, yes. But inspiring leader?

There is no denying the fact that Virat Kohli, the batsman, has managed to overcome demons of 2014 horror show in England, especially against his nemesis James Anderson.

His 593 runs with the help of two hundreds and three half-centuries have put him along with some of the great players who have scored under every conditions and on all surfaces.

But, can the same be said of Kohli, the captain?

That's the debate right now after the Indian team was outplayed 1-4 by the not-so-superior English team. Kohli has the habit of over-reacting to a situation. If, as a skipper, he is demanding more from his team, as was the case after the Lord's Test debacle, then he has to realise that it's a skipper's job to push his players to perform at their maximum.

Questions have been asked about the qualities he lacked as a captain. His inability to set field placements during tense moments, team selections on many occasions have come to the fore.

One would say that it could be lack of experience to handle leadership under pressure. But, the fact remains that Kohli has failed from team selections to field placements to man-management to reading the conditions/pitch and even to the use of Decision Review System (DRS).

One would say that former chief coach Anil Kumble was right in his assessment that "Kohli does need someone to show him the mirror". Unfortunately, that's not happening at the moment as the man who could do so in the dressing room (read Ravi Shastri) is only playing along with him.

There is none in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) right now to do so.

Wrong choices

The near-600 runs that Kohli was able to score during 10 innings in England was nothing short of a class act. His contribution could well be judged with the fact that second best scorer, KL Rahul, made 149 out of his total 299 in the last inconsequential game. As skipper, Kohli needs to take this blame that he erred as a skipper in picking the horses for courses.

By the way, who asked him to reduce the duration of India's lone practice game against county champions Essex by one day?

Kohli came up with his own explanation that "practice matches are worth it only if there is a good opposition to compete against and pitches of Test quality".

Question is whether in India, do we also provide the best side against touring sides? If answer is 'no', then why expect others to provide them a quality opposition? Kohli forgot that he was leading a side of youngsters who all needed some kind of adaptation to English conditions, unlike him or a couple of other seniors.

His biggest drawback during the tour was backing the wrong players for the wrong format. For example, why was he determined to prove Hardik Pandya as a Test all-rounder is a puzzle that only he can answer.

Pandya has came up in the ladder through his T20 abilities, but needs time like any other player before translating the same promise into the longest format of the game.

A total of 164 runs from eight innings, and a five-wicket haul in Trent Bridge were all that the all-rounder could show before he was kept out of the playing 11 for the last Test.

Kohli's decision to play two spinners at Lord's in seaming conditions almost put Team India out of contest. He compounded the team's miseries by then not picking a second spinner in Edgbaston, where the pitch offered turn and bounce.

And, his decision to drop the team's proven Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara for the opening match was baffling. The Test specialist ended with 278 runs in the series including an unbeaten century in a lost cause in Southampton. Yes, Pujara failed to live up to his own expectations, but then none of the other batsmen in the team was able to perform to his potential.

However, there can be no debate over the possession of his technique and temperament that he has shown over the years.

Kohli also needs to answer why he persisted with opener and his Delhi's teammate Shikhar Dhawan. Having played along side Dhawan for so many years, Kohli should have known his inability to tackle the swinging ball.

Even the records suggest that Dhawan has been found wanting against all the top Test-playing nations, both in technique and temperament.

No confidence on juniors

If Kohli's reason to persist with Dhawan, who ended up with just 162 runs at 20.25, was only because the young Prithvi Shaw was his only replacement, then debutant Hanuma Vihari removed all such doubts in the final, inconsequential Test at The Oval. The young Andhra batsman scored a gutsy 56 on his debut.

India have lost six away Tests this year at a time when both Kohli and coach Shastri term the team as "best travelling team in last 15-20 years".

Now that Kohli's India will have another tour lined up against Australia later this year followed up by 2019 World Cup, he needs to understand that "it is not about what he does with the bat, it is about what he brings to the team as leader".

Sooner he realises, longer he will rule!

KOHLI’S RECORD AS TEST CAPTAIN

40 Tests

22 Won

9 Lost

9 Drawn

18 Toss won