Virat Kohli may have flopped in the Test series, but it would be foolhardy to write him off ahead of the five-match ODI series starting Monday
Whether strutting towards the middle with a 360-run target staring him in the face or acknowledging the presence of a beautiful damsel yearning for a selfie and something more, it's his unmistakable swagger that floors you.
Widely hailed as the brand ambassador of the new, bold, brash and hungry (for success, of course) India, Virat Kohli also happens to be among the most feared batsman in the world of cricket. Scores of 1, 8, 25, 0, 39, 28, 0, 7, 6 and 20 in the just-concluded five-match Test series in England may have robbed his reputation of gloss. Even more hurtful was the manner in which fans and high-handed officials dragged his girlfriend, Bollywood starlet Anushka Sharma, into the mess surrounding his horrific run of form with the willow. Startlingly enough, the man we all wanted to ease into the No. 4 slot vacated by you know who, is not worthy of that privilege. That's Indian cricket for you.
Knowing Kohli and the high standards he sets for himself, this is but a phase of diminishing returns. The apparent similarity in his mode of dismissals did send a shiver down several spines, but the bright side of the moon will tell you that he will banish those demons in the upcoming ODI series. At least that's what his 71-run knock in the one-off practice game against Middlesex at Lord's on Friday suggested. In any case, a little optimism never harmed anyone.
In the Tests, bowlers bowled well outside off to Kohli. The gauntlet had been thrown, and Kohli was forced to do change his game plan. The instinctive, attacking batsman in him went after the ball. Alas, his methods backfired. And he 'failed' time and again.
On Friday, the likes of Steven Finn served him short-pitched fare but Kohli didn't take the bait. What a change in apparel can bring about! Revelling in blue, the colour of unconquered ocean waves, he managed not to poke at those deliveries. After that testing phase, he displayed his amazing repertoire of shots within and outside the textbook.
As the five-match ODI series kicks off at the lovely County Cricket Ground in Bristol on Monday, Team India will be hoping that Kohli buries the ghosts of the Test series pronto.
With 5,634 runs in 134 matches (126 innings), 19 centuries and 30 fifties to boot, Kohli has redefined the art of batting in ODI cricket. It wouldn't be wrong to say that he is well and truly on the path to being a limited-overs great. And if he continues to club his insatiable hunger for runs with his array of skills and mental fortitude, there's no mountain he can't climb. That he will challenge Sachin Tendulkar's mind-numbing records isn't an audacious thought. Already a World Cup winner and what not, Kohli's wicket remains the most precious for India as well as the opposition.
Given that India's World Cup defence starts in less than six months, it is all the more important that Kohli rediscovers his touch. With a brilliant work ethic, undying focus and utter disregard for mediocrity, Kohli, we hope, will soon be on the right track.
Kohli in ODIs
M Runs HS Avg SR 100/50
134 5634 183 52.16 89.87 19/30
Kohli's last three ODI series outings
India in South Africa, 2013/14
M Runs HS Avg 100/50
3 31 31 15.50 0/0
India in New Zealand, 2014
5 291 123 58.20 1/2
Asia Cup, 2014
4 189 136 63.00 1/0
19 & counting...
During the Asia Cup held earlier this year, Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to score 19 ODI hundreds. The star batsman took only 124 innings, breaking the world record held previously by Chris Gayle, who took 189 innings to reach there. Sachin Tendulkar (194) and Sourav Ganguly (197) follow.
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