Ruthless Virat Kohli is not just scaling peaks with his batting, but also imbibing India with killer instinct

Virat Kohli is a phenomenon in the Viv Richards mould. There is little doubt that this remarkable batsman is in the process of becoming an exceptional maestro in world cricket. Six double hundreds in the last 17 months is ample proof that he is in the form of his life. It is unlikely any batsman will come up with similar exploits or run-making skills in the near future. Kohli’s double ton-making spree started in the West Indies in July 2016 when he plundered their attack in Antigua fittingly at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. However, he had shown aptitude for big innings even earlier, when he scored 141, 169 and 147 against the testing Australian attack on some of their most iconic cricket venues — Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground respectively. [caption id=“attachment_4240845” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] India’s captain Virat Kohli walks back to the pavilion after being dismissed on Sunday. AP[/caption] Kohli’s six double hundreds embellished his last nine hundreds in the 17-month period and were registered against varied opponents — West Indies, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It reveals a ruthless streak even as the 20 Test tons, in addition to 32 ODI centuries, point to extraordinary batting skills. Registering a century, or any other milestone for that matter, requires a lot more than just form and fitness as was forcefully demonstrated in the Delhi Test. Kohli seemed well on the way to becoming only the third Indian, after Virender Sehwag and Karun Nair, to score a Test triple ton when the post-lunch shenanigans of the Sri Lankan team upset his rhythm, momentum and concentration. Their frequent stoppages complaining about the smog of Delhi might have been planned during the lunch break. But what these demonstrative stoppages accomplished was in upsetting Kohli to the point that he was distracted and pushed out of the ‘zone’. He fell leg before for 243, a victim of Sri Lanka’s sly and sneaky tactics. The impact of seemingly non-cricketing issues on the mental make-up required for big scores can hardly be over-emphasised. One only needs to look as far as the seminal Mike Brearley’s recall of a similar distraction in his latest book ‘On Form’ to understand the gravity of the issue. Brearley, former England captain and widely acknowledged as one of the most influential thinkers of the game and the men who play it, wrote that he was batting with great freedom on the third day of the Mumbai Test. He said that he had never batted with greater freedom earlier or subsequently and was unbeaten on 68 in a team’s total of 99 without loss. “The next day, unfortunately for me, was a rest day,” he wrote. He spent the whole day contemplating on continuing his innings but in the evening accepted a dinner invitation from someone he hardly knew. “We stood for several hours in a hot room, crowded with smokers, drinking whisky and inhaling smoke. Dinner was not served till 10.30 pm. I grew tired, bored, allergic, frustrated and hungry. I gulped down my food and got a taxi back to the hotel. I felt depressed and angry… Why did I feel I had some obligation to people who wanted me as a minor trophy at their social gathering? What reluctance to offend!” He wrote that when he batted the next day freshness was lacking and he struggled to 91 before being dismissed. He never scored a Test century. Brearley’s was one innings. Kohli is in similar position every single time. But he is not one to mince words or keep his feelings to himself. His focus and dedication to his profession are so unwavering that he will call out a problem as he sees it. The Delhi smog episode is probably the only time when he couldn’t have his say and allowed that to upset his equilibrium. Consequently, his tryst with a triple ton would have to wait another day. Meanwhile, cynics disparagingly point out that five of his last ten Test centuries have come against a sub-standard Sri Lankan attack. This is an unkind observation as he has tons against virtually every Test playing country, barring Zimbabwe. It also does not take into consideration the ruthless killer instinct of the Delhi batsman. His take-no-prisoner attitude is so compelling that most of the other players in the team too are just as driven and focused. It is this trait that has seen the team come up with so many victories in recent times. In comparison it would be pertinent to point out the results of the Kerry Packer-ravaged West Indies and Australian teams tour of India in the late 1970s. A full-fledged Indian team beat both weak teams by a mere margin of 1-0. Both series were six-Test affairs and the fact that the second or even third-string visitors escaped with such narrow defeats turned out to be a moral victory for them rather than India! Kohli’s current achievements must, therefore, be recognised not just for the tons of runs he is scoring but also for the ruthless instinct he has imbibed in the Indian team. Both are traits that need to be celebrated rather than being trivialised.