The best sportspersons reveal their skills and character best under pressure. Virat Kohli’s magnificent century against the West Indies on Friday night reaffirmed what a gifted batsman he is. Not just that, it showed that behind the swagger and swear words he has a core of steel.
As a make-shift captain, Kohli was under duress particularly after the mauling by Sri Lanka a few days earlier. In a do-or-die situation, team members will look to the captain for inspiration and Kohli came up with a gem: easily amongst the best knocks he has played in his as yet brief career.
I must confess to being among those who were disappointed at the slump in India’s performances in the tri-series after the heady triumph in the Champions Trophy. The hallmark of a great side is consistency over a period of time and India seemed to be running out of steam within a couple of weeks.
More than the defeats in the first two matches, what had rankled was the unseemly defensive approach: where had the chutzpah and panache, so wonderfully manifest in England in all departments of the game, vanished?
Happily, as the match against the West Indies showed, the players appear to have rediscovered quickly their zest for playing and winning despite the fatigue of playing non-stop for more than eight months.
Whether India reach the final of the tri-series depends on how they fare against Sri Lanka, but at least they are not surrendering without a fight which is important. Where losing is a bad habit, winning is a good one which if not firmly established can collapse easily.
Kohli would have been chuffed up before the match at being named captain of the team which tours Zimbabwe later this month. There was a case to rest him too since he — along with Dhoni — is the only one who has played all three formats in all games over the past 24 months.
But the selectors have correctly assessed that the Zimbabwe tour would be good learning experience. International cricket, even against a weak side, carries more lessons than leading an under-19 side — or even a high-profile IPL team. However, the more commendable aspect of the selection committee’s decisions has to do with the deference shown to current form and fitness over reputation in building up a team for the future with the 2015 World Cup firmly in sight.
Some who have played non-stop — mainly the bowlers — have been wisely rested. Out-of-sorts M. Vijay has been dropped but more importantly, all inclusions are based on runs scored or wickets taken in domestic cricket which is how it should be. Too often in the past, players have been included on past form and affected the team adversely.
I would have liked Gautam Gambhir to be in the mix of things. He is not old, has proven ability and loads of experience. Indeed, I think the selectors should also be closely monitoring players like Sehwag, Harbhajan, Yuvraj and Zaheer to see how they are faring/recovering. High quality players don’t come easily and every effort must be made to exploit their talent to the fullest.
Finally to Parvez Rasool, the first Kashmiri to earn India colours.
His is a fascinating story (remember how he was mistaken for a terrorist when at a camp in Bangalore a few years ago!) that may not only give India a terrific off-spinner, but could have a significant and positive socio-political impact in the Valley.
As several examples from across the world show, there can sometimes be no better balm to heal wounds than sport.