Nursing hangover at farewell party
Virat Kohli faces a selection dilemma ahead of the second Test match beginning at the P’ Sara Oval on Thursday. (Source: Reuters)
“Most write legends, you lived it” it said. Those feting words were superimposed on an image of Kumar Sangakkara raising his bat after one of his many centuries. It was also kept conveniently, for the moment, at the steps of the Indian dressing-room at the P’Sara Oval on Wednesday. There were many similar framed images of the retiring Sri Lankan legend accompanied by eulogising phrases that kept making their way into the ground as the two teams went through their practice routines.
This one in particular, however, seemed to catch the eye of every Indian cricketer walking in and out of the dressing-room. Its location certainly did have something to do with it. But maybe it also was a reminder that they will be doing battle not with just XI opponents but an entire nation hoping and praying that their beloved hero gets a fitting farewell.
(App users click HERE to watch the video)
Virat Kohli & Co better get used to it. Over the next five days, they will see a lot of Sangakkara, not only on the field but all around it. For, the Sanga mania is set to grip the quaint Oval with gusto. As it turned out, skipper Kohli hardly paid much heed to the framed photo. Not out of any disrespect of course. But he seemed lost in his own thoughts from the moment the team bus drove into the narrow gully of Wanathamulla — or smuggler’s cove as its infamously referred to as — leading to the ground. It’s understandable that he wouldn’t pay much heed to the Sangakkara phenomenon. He clearly has enough to keep him distracted from it. Not only does he have to worry about what’s going to happen once the toss is done but also about the personnel he chooses before he walks out to the centre of the pitch with Angelo Mathews — though there are those who believe that the Lankans could send Sangakkara for it as a mark of honour.
His dilemma ranges from whether he fast-tracks Stuart Binny to the side as the all-rounder in the mix and compromises to an extent on the five-bowler strategy that he and Ravi Shastri have talked about incessantly since taking over.
The last few days following the sensational turnaround orchestrated by Sri Lanka have also been all about soul-searching for the Indian team, and their young captain has been at its forefront. When he’s not been indulging in one-on-one sessions with his besieged teammates, he’s been helping himself recover from the shock value of the setback experienced at Galle. In many ways, he’s been self-learning the art of man-management. And on the eve of the second Test, he spoke in detail about the many conversations he’s had with his ‘boys’.
Crucial match
It’s a crucial match in more ways than one for India. It could well be a watershed one if it goes their way. There’s one thing for a young team to leave the comfort of home and win away Tests. But then overcoming a disillusioning loss and bouncing back from it is what builds character and reputation. For many in Galle, at Lunch on Day Three, India looked headed not only to a comprehensive victory but a probable series win—so appalling were the Sri Lankan batsmen against the Indian spin. But now all of a sudden, they are one more slip-up away from a disparaging series loss.
It’s about their resilience. It’s about redemption. It’s about realising that careers could be made and broken in this scenario. All hands need to be on deck.
For starters, Kohli did seem relieved about the recovery process of opener Murali Vijay, who will bring a lot of relief to the batting line-up too.
“Even if he wants to play, he is keen, I’m sure he can go through whatever discomfort he might have to go through,” he said.
In many ways, it also proved that Kohli had accepted that the time had come for drastic measures, and that Vijay would play even if he wasn’t a 100 per cent fit. If so, it will be interesting to see if he takes radical calls on some other members of the team.
Brave call
These are also matches where a captain could make a difference with a bold call on selection or a punt on an unexpected strategy. So with Rohit Sharma out of sorts, he could either bring Cheteshwar Pujara, or keep the Mumbai right-hander and rejig the middle-order. Maybe push Ajinkya Rahane up to No.3. Or push himself one spot up.
Of all venues in the country, the P’Sara Oval is considered the friendliest to seamers, providing impressive carry and the opportunity to swing. Having admitted that the pitch—which has been changing shades on a daily basis—could burgeon Binny’s impact as a bowler owing to his swinging abilities, isn’t it prudent to bring Bhuvneshwar Kumar in, considering he’s your chief protagonist in terms of moving the ball around?
Kohli’s captained in four Tests so far, and he’s already got a fair taste of the various genres Test cricket has to offer. The first was played out in the aftermath of a great tragedy, where Kohli and Vijay brought their team to the cusp of an epoch-breaking win. That epic in Adelaide was followed by a drab draw at the SCG, a rain-marred one-off Test at Fatullah, and a contest at Galle that dished out all the vagaries of Test cricket.
The fifth could in many ways be the defining Test of Kohli’s captaincy career, and one where he writes his own legend and lives it as well.
