“The one-day games this year are all about seeing what players, who get opportunities, add to the team combination, not necessarily about whether the chances of winning or losing vary or not. That’s what we are looking at”: Virat Kohli before the start of the ongoing One-Day International series against New Zealand.
“As I said, one-day cricket in this calendar year is not as relevant as T20Is and Tests”: Kohli after India’s defeat in the second ODI on Saturday.
These statements by the India captain are problematic in more ways than one. Firstly, they are in stark contrast to what he has stood for right from the day he took over as leader of the team. With Kohli, it has always been about cultivating a winning mentality.
A huge part of the reason why India are the No 1 Test side in the world is Kohli’s ruthlessness…his always-on attitude. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that the defining aspect of his legacy will be the passion he displays on the field and how it uplifts his teammates. One knows, when Kohli steps out to play, he will give it his all. And this professionalism of his has had a wide impact on Indian cricket. Be it the first-class level or age-group cricket, every player knows he has to be his best version to have any chance of making it to the top.
Which is why the aforementioned comments come as a big surprise. Since there is a T20 World Cup scheduled for later this year, Kohli believes ODIs aren’t “as relevant” for the time being. But why is that? Since when did any single match lose relevance for Kohli? Isn’t that something he has stood for right through his career – not giving an inch every time you take the field?
Simply put, Kohli’s views reflect a negative mindset which, perhaps, has led to New Zealand taking an unassailable lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series. It’s understandable for a player or team to lose motivation for a dead rubber, but to have a casual approach towards an entire format for the entire calendar year is hard to fathom.
Also, New Zealand, Australia and England are the three teams who along with India are the dominant forces in one-day cricket. Isn’t it a disservice to the fans, whose sustained interest in the game is of utmost importance, if Kohli and Co are willing to compromise against one of their few big opponents?
It isn’t just Kohli’s words that reflect a sloppy attitude, his team’s performance in the second ODI left a similar impression too. To start off, the team management decided to leave Mohammed Shami out so that he is well-rested for the Test series. Going into a must-win game without one of your best fast bowlers is simply unacceptable. With the likes of Shardul Thakur looking out of place game after game, India should never have gone in without Shami. That is if they were serious about drawing level in the series.
In the field, India had New Zealand on the mat when they reduced the hosts to 197/8. But a lack of potency at the death, highlighted by Shami’s absence, allowed the Black Caps to add 76 more runs. Which, of course, led to the 22-run loss at the end.
With the bat, too, India lost most of their top-order thanks to casual shots. Prithvi Shaw attempted an expansive drive against the new ball and got clean bowled, Kohli saw his stumps get rattled yet again (for the fifth time in his last eight ODI innings) trying to play across the line, Shreyas Iyer threw his wicket away in an inexplicable manner after getting to his half-century, KL Rahul chopped-on to his stumps with an unnecessary stroke.
And, of course, there is Kedar Jadhav. Why or how he is in the team, with an in-form Manish Pandey warming the bench, is another matter. But the right-hander played a nothing shot to get caught at covers just as he was starting to build a partnership with Iyer.
Ravindra Jadeja and Navdeep Saini’s partnership showed that New Zealand, who are not at their best with Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson injured, don’t have an attack that can blow batting line-ups away. If only India’s top-order had shown a little more application, chasing 273 at the Eden Park wouldn’t have seemed so difficult.
What was most worrying about Kohli’s post-match comments on Saturday was the impression it could leave on his teammates, many of whom are still finding their feet in international cricket. One-day cricket may not be as relevant to the skipper at the moment, but the same can’t be said about several other players in the squad.
For youngsters like Shaw, Agarwal, Saini and even Iyer for that matter, each game is important. They’re still establishing themselves and any performance – good or bad – must surely have a bearing on their mindset. For Kohli to pass a comment in a post-match chat is one thing, but one certainly hopes this isn’t a discussion he’s having in the dressing room.