Since taking over the reins of India’ Test team, phrases like ‘playing for a win’, ‘fearless cricket’ and ‘positive intent’ have been a staple in all of Virat Kohli’s media interactions. And every time the occasion has arisen, Virat has walked the talk. The latest instance of that was the final day of the Fatullah Test against Bangladesh.
In the match that was terribly ruined by inclement weather, about only two days of play was possible over the five days. On the fifth day after the first session was washed off the Test was deemed a draw. But Team India’s commitment on the field for the rest of the day would have tricked someone into believing they were witnessing a humdinger.
The bowlers gave it their all – skill and body – and the fielders chased the ball as if their life depended on it. The Test eventually met its drawn fate late in the final session but Virat’s impact as the leader had won. After dismissing Bangladesh for 256 in the first innings, India enforced the follow-on with 30 overs left.
“One very pleasing thing was the intent our bowlers showed throughout to take wickets,” Virat said after the game. “They were intense and aggressive irrespective of the situation of the game. There were no excuses and no cribbing out there. As the captain that really pleases me.
“Especially when we are fielding it is important to have that attitude and intensity because that is the only time when all 11 players are on the field. That’s when the real meaning of team is understood and felt.”
While the fast bowlers bent their back on a wicket that had nothing for them, most of the work was done by the off-spin twins, Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin, who picked eight wickets between them. With an eye on the upcoming season of Test cricket in the subcontinent, Virat was excited to see the two spinners do well in tandem.
“Watching them bowl together was very exciting for me and I think they enjoyed it as well. One was putting pressure, the other took a wicket,” Virat said.
“I would like to have players who can win us games and both of them certainly have that ability, especially with a long season in the subcontinent ahead of us. We need to build for that. The confidence they build in this season will help us in the future.”
The match was especially crucial for Harbhajan, who was playing his first Test after two years. To the veteran bowler, the new captain just said this: “We told him, ‘Don’t think of this game as your comeback game. Just think that you were injured for a while and now you are back in the team. You should go with that mindset. We know you can win us a game.’” Harbhajan bowled 17.5 overs and picked three wickets for 64 runs.
As Harbhajan found his feet back in Test cricket, Ashwin continued to wield his magic. En route 5 for 87, Ashwin became the joint fastest with Waqar Younis to 100 Test wickets in the subcontinent. He also registered his first five-wicket haul outside India.
Virat made it clear that in the subcontinent conditions Ashwin is his main man with the ball. “In the subcontinent conditions Ashwin is priceless,” Virat said. “You can’t really get someone better than him. He bowls equally well to the right and left-handers. He can deceive batsmen with pace, bounce and spin.
“With the bat, you won’t feel it, but he is pretty aggressive and scores at good pace. As captain you don’t need to tell him much because he understands the game and is very clear of what he wants to do. I am very confident of his contribution in the coming season and he is geared up as well. He is going to be very important for us.”
Another gain for Team India according to Virat was the return among runs of Shikhar Dhawan. After a tough last year, Dhawan struck back with an aggressive 173 in this Test. Virat has a very clear and specific role for his dynamic left-handed opener.
“Shikhar, I’ve always felt that once he gets going in a Test he can do the job for us that Viru pa used to do. He is one player who can turn a session around for us completely and that could be the difference between us winning, drawing or ending up on the losing side,” the captain said.
“For him to score big runs in this game is a confidence booster for the team because now we have three openers who are in form (Dhawan, M Vijay and KL Rahul). We might have some selection nightmares but it is a good place to be in as a team. We really want him to play like this in Test matches regardless of where we play. It is going to benefit the team.”
Runs from his top-order batsmen will give Virat the confidence of sticking with his favoured strategy of playing five bowlers. He believes, with handy contributions from wicketkeeper, Wriddhiman Saha, and the lower-order batsmen, the team will not miss a seventh batsman.
“I am a big fan of playing five bowlers. We have Ashwin, who averages 40 (36) with the bat in Test matches. Saha can step up with the bat and so can Harbhajan. If those three start clicking you have eight batsmen and you cannot ask for more. It is up to the first six to take more responsibility and we are confident of doing so,” Virat said.
By: BCCI
