How can a team like India which has made world class teams surrender before them put up such a terrible show in front of a team that they beat comprehensively only a couple of weeks back? India was out-batted, out-bowled, out-fielded and out-witted, it was an all-round failure! An all-star team India that has a world class swing baller in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the best ODI Spinner in Ashwin, the best ODI Batsman in Kohli, the best finisher in the business MS Dhoni and one of the best opening pairs in Shikhar and Sharma was beaten by a team of novices which has very few recognizable faces. Winning and losing are part and parcel of the game but the way India surrendered was appalling.
The more I think about it, the surer I get about the fact that led to India’s colossal defeat at the hands of Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Finals. It was the pathetic captaincy by Virat Kohli that did the damage.
The wicket was a batter’s paradise, the outfield was fast, the weather was nice and sunny. Conventionally such a setup has been found to help the team batting first. So what was the rationale behind opting to ball first? Because India has a wonderful record in chasing? India is a terrific chaser but does that mean that we can win only by chasing? The answer is a resounding NO. India should have batted first. When India came out to chase Pakistan’s mammoth total, the pressure was all too visible on the batsmen’s faces.
The 2 best captains of India MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly were known for their unconventional bowling changes, while Ganguly would turn to Sachin or Sehwag or himself to break a partnership, Dhoni would hand the ball to Yuvraj or Jadeja (Who used to be a part-timer back then). Today India’s main spinners were beaten comprehensively, what was the rationale behind letting them continue? Captain Kohli sure had his options. He had Kedar Jadhav.
What was with the field placement? No team has ever won a ODI final by containing runs, they have all won by bowling the opposition out. The field that captain Kohli set up was very defensive. There were no slips, no men in catching position. Despite being slaughtered by Fakhar Zaman, the field placement remained as it was.
Kohli turns to MS Dhoni like a little kid far too frequently. It is good to respect your senior but a captain must be confident about his decisions and that’s the only way to win the trust, loyalty and respect of your team mates. Also, his alleged spats with coach Kumble aren’t helping his cause.
Kohli is a fantastic batsman, he is a delight to watch every time he comes to down to bat but he is uninspiring as a captain.
He has a team of winners at his dispense but the utilization of the team is not proper. Kohli needs to pull up his socks. He is the captain now and he needs to make sure that he leads them by example.