The headline makes it self-explanatory. It is about time. About time that Virat Kohli is put under the scanner.
No, not Virat Kohli, the batsman who masters every chase, however insurmountable it may look. Not Virat Kohli, the Test captain who is aggressive, in-your-face and has taken India to the No. 1 ranking.
No, we are talking about Virat Kohli, the Test batsman.
To be fair, there is not a whole lot wrong about him, going by just his records. An average of 43.76 in 47 Tests with 12 centuries compares favourably to most. It still makes him among the best of his generation.
But this is not any other batsman we are talking about. This is Virat Kohli. A batsman who, forget Sachin Tendulkar, elicits comparisons to Sir Donald Bradman. The crowning star of batting, in this day and age. And to give him credit, he is already on a different plane when it comes to the limited-overs formats and ensured that those comparisons are not completely unwarranted.
But, fortunately or unfortunately, the problem with greatness is that comes under just a little bit more scrutiny.
Greatness under scrutiny
Kohli’s double century in the first Test against West Indies in July was a sterling achievement and supposed to be an indicator that he had brought his mercurial run-scoring in the longest format of the game as well. Except for one caveat, this was only Kohli’s second century in 14 Tests since the Australia tour of 2014-’15 which was a coming-of-age of sorts for him.
In 21 innings in those 14 Tests, Kohli has one more century to his name, scored against Sri Lanka in the Galle Test, and two scores above 50. That is an average of 37.09, which, while being quite healthy, is definitely below the high standards which Kohli likes to set for himself.
What would sting him even more is that his rivals, the triumvirate of England’s Joe Root, Australia’s Steven Smith and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson have had vastly better records than him in the same period. In Test matches since Jan 10, 2015, Williamson has scored five centuries in 14 Tests at an average of 66, Smith has scored seven centuries in 18 Tests at an average of 69, while Root has scored five centuries in 24 Tests at an average of 58.
Of greater worry however was the manner of Kohli’s dismissals in the Kanpur Test. On both occasions, Kohli came out, almost with a pre-defined mindset of attacking the bowler, come what may. On both occasions, it did him in. In the first innings, he charged out wildly at Neil Wagner who slipped in the shorter one, Kohli top-edged and holed out to fine leg. In the second, he went hammer and tongs with the sweep at a delivery from Mark Craig, again got an edge and holed out to deep mid-wicket.
You could tell from his reaction in the second innings that the dismissal had hurt him. Kohli is a competitive, determined character. He comes out to dominate. And when it does not come off, no one is more hurt than him.
When does aggression start to hurt?
In Kolkata in the first innings, a flashing drive outside off-stump, saw him dismissed for just nine and his team reduced to 46/3. To his credit, in the second innings, he held himself back and took India out of a hole, getting a valuable 45 in the second innings before an unplayable delivery that kept devilishly low, rapped him in front of the stumps.
Yet, whisper it quietly, but is there a case for Kohli to temper that aggression down? Test cricket, after all, works at its own pace and subtleties, distinctively different from the other formats. While going in all guns blazing and grabbing the game by the scruff of its neck has worked wonders for him in the Twenty20 and the One Day International format, could Kohli think relooking his approach in the longest format? Instead of trying to come out and be overly aggressive, he could look to become a little old-fashioned, take the first 30-50 balls to settle in and then bring out all the shots which he owns in his repository.
Perhaps, the coach Anil Kumble just needs to have a quiet word in Virat Kohli’s ear. A small word to reassure the Indian skipper that in this format of the game, there are various way that a message can be sent across. The beauty of the five-day format means that even a well-judged leave could have the same impact as a lofted shot over mid-wicket for six.
Of course, knowing Kohli, this might be the farthest thing from his mind. And as his 45 in Kolkata showed, he is getting there. The third Test at Indore offers a new opportunity for that long-awaited big score. And when it does come, it will be long overdue.