Champions Trophy 2017: As Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli bicker, Indian cricket is the only casualty

In the fight between Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli, there could be only one casualty — Indian cricket.

To understand the devastating impact of a coach vs captain, watch the references to the Greg Chappell era in Sachin Tendulkar’s biopic, Sachin: A Billion Dreams. In the film, Tendulkar is brutally honest about the Chappell era even when he avoids every other controversy of the era. (Notice, there is not even a word on Mohammad Azharuddin in spite of the match-fixing controversy).

Talking about the controversial coach, Tendulkar says that he had warned a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official that the team was divided and the environment in the dressing room wasn’t good. “This team may not advance much in the (2007) World Cup,” Tendulkar says in his biopic.

Nobody knows if India’s shocking exit in the first round of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean was entirely because of the disquiet in the team. But, by Tendulkar’s own admission, a divided dressing room (Chappell apparently was a guru of divide and rule) and ego wars between the coach and the captain contributed to the early exit.

History seems to be repeating itself with an encore of 2007. The Indian team is currently in England for the Champions Trophy.  And, instead of its on-field challenges and achievements, the discussion has, like in 2007, shifted to the divisions in the dressing room.

According to reports, Kumble and Kohli are at war. The captain has reportedly complained to the BCCI that the new coach is “overbearing.” Another account suggests Kumble has lost the trust of some senior players by leaking details of their conversations with him to the media.

On the face of it, this looks like an ego contest. Kohli is an aggressive, emotional and competitive cricketer. His own-field demeanour — kicking himself every time he is given out, squabbling with the opposition, raising the middle finger to booing crowds — shows he plays the game with a lot of passion and doesn’t easily tolerate failure, criticism or back off from confrontation.

If he were playing today, Kumble would have been a gentlemanly alter ego of Kohli. He has the instincts of a fighter, a never-say-die-attitude and the similar response to failure, epitomised by his trademark displays of anger and frustration every time runs were scored or catches were dropped off his bowling.

When two intense persons with the same passion for success and aversion to failure are given a collective task, only two outcomes are possible. Either they feed off each other’s passion, zeal and ability to achieve their collective goals, or they start squabbling with each other, thinking that their individual ability and commitment is adequate in the pursuit of their targets. Unfortunately, Kumble and Kohli, instead of striking a partnership to attack the rivals, appear to have turned into warriors protecting their own turfs.

It is well-known about Kohli that he puts cricket above everything. The poignant story of a young Kohli batting in a Ranji Trophy game even after hearing of his father’s demise gives us insights into his personality and character.

But, Kumble’s commitment is legendary too. Images of him bowling in the Caribbean with a broken jaw, as Vivian Richards pointed out back then, was one of the bravest things on the field. That day, Kumble bowled 14 consecutive overs, dismissing Brian Lara in the process. Before flying back home for surgery, Kumble said, “At least I can now go home with the thought that I tried my best.”

Kumble seems to have brought the same work ethics to the dressing room. But, unfortunately for him and Indian cricket, the never-back-off spirit that made Kumble the legend he is, appears to have turned into a sign of ‘head masterly’ conduct. An Indian Express report says the coach has become unpopular for asking players to toughen up, ignore minor injuries and slog hard in the nets.

There are two ways to resolve the reported disquiet in the dressing room. One is to let it turn it into a harmonious orchestra led by a talented but volatile captain by giving him carte blanche. The other is to treat the team, as Ryan Gosling says in La La Land, turn into a jazz band where multiple performers bring their acts together to produce beautiful music. To quote Gosling’s Sebastian: “This is the dream! It’s conflict and it’s compromise, and it’s very, very exciting!”

It would have been easier for the BCCI to address the problem had it not turned into a full-blown media circus. Now that details of dressing room fracas are emerging in the media through leaks and plants, any solution apart from a return to bon homie will look like a victory for one of the warring sides, turning either Kohli or Kumble into the villain and the fall guy.

That would be a tragedy.