It has been blessing in disguise for Indian cricket fans. Since MS Dhoni was declared unfit for first Test versus Australia it was imminent that Kohli would be asked to take the captaincy.
Right from start, Kohli stressed to play aggressive cricket in Australia.
After landing in Australia, Kohli continued to echo his statements and after looking at the way he guided his team throughout the Test match, he stood by what he said and his actions confirmed the same.
Whether it was dealing a war of words against David Warner, Steve Smith and Shane Watson, or trying to go for the win on the fifth day of the match, Kohli showed that he has the positive attitude to take Indian Test cricket forward and make the match interesting.
This is a very good sign for Indian cricket fans, because Kohli brings fresh enthusiasm, ideas and approach towards the game. It’s refreshing to see. He is young, dynamic and gels well with other young members of the team.
Umesh Yadav once said that it is easier to approach Kohli than Dhoni, as he is of the same age group and can relate to problems and issues other players are having.
I won’t compare how Dhoni would have approached the game on Day 5, but we all know that Dhoni doesn’t go for the kill – at least in the Test matches. In the post match conference, Kohli said that at no point of time was he was thinking of a draw. That shows how a Test match captain should always think about winning under any circumstance.
Even if we lost the match by a small margin, Kohli’s herculean efforts would not go unnoticed. He scored a century in each of the innings and was unlucky not to see through the team until final stage. He led from the front and pushed for victory.
Looking at how his captaincy skills were tested, he should be given a long rope for Test captaincy to continue the positive attitude that every player needs to have.
It would be interesting to see how Indian management decides who will lead in the second Test match from next week. If Dhoni is fit to play, he will replace Wriddhiman Saha, but again it would be back to square one and the defensive approach that Dhoni is infamous for.
This is the right time to let Kohli lead in all Test matches and continue the aggressive approach that he is trying to instil.
It will be good for Indian cricket’s stance, especially abroad, and for Indian cricket fans as well, as they will get to see young blood playing an aggressive, tough brand of Test cricket, just the way the Aussies play.
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