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When India’s 16-strong squad assembled in Hyderabad on Saturday night, there was little indication of the shock that was in store. They had their first practice session ahead of the five-Test series against England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, on Sunday, an open-pitch outing behind closed doors. Virat Kohli had a decent hit, as is to be expected. The former captain is never short on intensity at a cricket ground, be it for training or a match per se.
On Monday afternoon came the unexpected announcement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, that Kohli had opted out of the first two Tests owing to ‘personal reasons’. To the uninitiated, it came as a bolt from the blue.
One is not sure what those personal reasons are, and in the interests of respecting the privacy of one of the most senior cricketers in the world, to speculate on the whys will be both unbecoming and distasteful. What is certain is that Kohli’s unavailability for the first two matches is a massive setback for a team determined to extend its dominance at home and rake in valuable World Test Championship points.
Kohli’s absence a blow in many fronts
Kohli isn’t just India’s seniormost active Test batter, he is also their most accomplished – with due respect to the glittering array of talent at Rohit Sharma’s disposal. In addition to his volume of runs, there is an aura and presence about the 35-year-old that transcend the numerical. The psychological impact of a focused, determined Kohli striding out at No. 4, twirling his bat and meaning business, can’t be quantified. Bowlers know they are in for a scrap, the opposition captain (Ben Stokes in this instance) isn’t unaware that he must be on top of his tactical game and get rid of Kohli quickly, because otherwise, he can quickly run away with the game.
Having endured a miserable run between the beginning of 2020 and August 2022, Kohli has rediscovered a spectacular second wind, which has translated into runs and hundreds galore in white- and red-ball formats. Even in South Africa, on pitches that were a little short of diabolical, he looked the most assured batter from both sides, his class and quality all too apparent when most others around him struggled for survival. Rahul Dravid and Rohit would have factored in a bushel of runs from his broad willow, as well as his strategic inputs and his electricity and alacrity in the field, not to mention his natural propensity to engage with the home crowd and whip them into a frenzy, especially when things aren’t going India’s way. Now, at least for two-fifths of the series, they will have to seek recourse to Plan B, whatever that might be. After all, how can you begin planning for life without Kohli, however temporary it might be, just three days before the start of a vitally important showdown against a very good outfit?
Kohli’s stellar record against England
Kohli’s record against England at home is second to none; in 13 Tests, he has stacked up 1,015 runs at 56.38, three centuries and a highest of 235 studding his 21 innings. Furthermore, he is just 152 runs shy of touching the 9,000 mark in Tests, a significant milestone in this era of excessive multi-format action as well as franchise cricket in the form of the IPL. Kohli is far closer to the end of his career than its beginning – he made his international debut in August 2008 – and therefore would be loath to miss matches, so whatever is the reason for his pullout, it must be compelling.
Stokes and England will breathe a little easier knowing that for the immediate future, they won’t have to contend with Kohli. There is nothing that gets the right-hander up more than the scent of battle, and if he sniffs any slight – intended or perceived – then he raises his game to another level. England recognised it as far back as in 2012-13 when the team talk revolved around letting the then 23-year-old be; they won’t believe they have won half the battle in Kohli’s unavailability, but they will sense a certain vulnerability and the loss of a huge chunk of irreplaceable experience in the Indian ranks that they can cash in on.
Kohli, like Rohit, won’t be around forever, of course, so this is as good a time as any for the likes of Yashavi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul to reiterate that they are capable of taking up the cudgels and stepping up to the plate. But then again, how does one – or many – fill a Kohli-sized hole in Test cricket?
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