Will India Miss Virat Kolhi In Tests Against Australia?
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2020-11-23 15:49:37
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
The commentariat is speculating how Virat Kohli's absence due to paternity leave after the first Test in Australia is likely to affect the performance of the Indian team. While Sunil Gavaskar is of the opinion that although his absence will be felt, it is seen that the rest of the players raise their game if Kohli is not there. But Australian great Ian Chappell holds an opposite view. He is of the opinion that Kohli's absence will leave a big hole in the Indian batting and their performance will suffer.
Three things need to be considered here. First, as the captain, Kohli is a hands-on and motivating leader who leads by example. Obviously, his absence is likely to set the team back as they will miss his electrifying and combative spirit on the field. Second, as a player, Kohli is perhaps one of the best batsmen in the world today across all formats. He is consistent and has been a huge success in Australia on previous tours. Hence, his contribution with the bat will be felt by the Indian team and Australia will perhaps fancy their chances more when he comes back. Lastly, the Indian team is now a balanced side with bench strength strong enough to take care of any contingency.
It would be foolish to say that Virat Kohli will not be missed. But it will be equally foolish to say that he would be sorely missed. The answer lies somewhere in between. The Indian team now boasts of players like vice-captain Ajinkye Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, K L Rahul and Mayank Agarwal who have proved their mettle against all opposition on tours abroad. Moreover, the selectors have also drafted Rohit Sharma in the Test team. Hence, although the team will definitely miss Kohli's reassuring presence, it is wrong to say that it will be all at sea against the Aussies if he is not there.
