5 Things Virat Kohli-Led India Still Need To Be Wary Of In Tests

Jan 9, 2019 at 4:12 PM

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5 Things Virat Kohli-Led India Still Need To Be Wary Of In Tests

The sheer brute force and dominance asserted by Virat Kohli-led India over England in the recently concluded Test series was exciting to watch. Kohli seemed to lead the side like an absolute revolutionary, who brought forward the best out of his talented army of young men. ‘Ruthless’ is probably the only word to describe the five-match series, as the visitors were treated with utter disdain.

With a solitary Test against Bangladesh to follow before a four-match series against Australia at home, it does seem that the No. 1 Test rank will belong to India for quite a while. The Indians will travel to Sri Lanka (after the Champions Trophy), before their ultimate test begins with the tour of South Africa in December 2017.

Thereby, in this piece, we go through the five major aspects which the Indians need to be wary of despite their recent performances:

  1. Team Balance:

6-5 or 7-4. This has been the most common question enveloping the young Indian side. For the tour of West Indies earlier this year, the combination was an attacking 6-5, with Ravichandran Ashwin shouldering the responsibility of batting at six. Against New Zealand, the focus shifted as a 7-4 combo was chosen in order to have Rohit Sharma in the scheme of things. That too was a good move as Rohit scored three priceless half-centuries in as many games. Against England though, it was 6-5 and the move paid rich dividends yet again.

The main factor to decide would be the team balance when they start to tour overseas. Ashwin is no mug with the bat, and he can be expected to do well at six even in alien conditions. Backing him up with another spinner wouldn’t be a bad move, as there is no such rule regarding the number of spinners needed in a side to do well outside the sub-continent. Thus, Ravindra Jadeja too can find a place along with three pacers. It must be noted that when India won at Headingley in 2002, they had two quality spinners in the ranks. Kohli can surely take a cue from Sourav Ganguly’s team combination if he is to be successful overseas. As a whole, a 6-5 combination would offer Kohli much better balance to the side.

  1. Selecting The Best Wicket-Keeper:

Another headache would be selecting the best possible wicket-keeper. In the West Indies, Wriddhiman Saha was the standout performer as the Bengal wicket-keeper was terrific with the bat and even registered a match winning century in St.Lucia. He followed that up with more than a decent series against New Zealand, as he was the Man of the Match at Kolkata. After being injured, he was replaced by Parthiv Patel, who didn’t do badly either. Thereby, the selection woes remain, as opting for any one out of the two will be a big headache. Considering the team management’s immense faith in Saha, one can expect the Bengal lad to be the first choice keeper with Parthiv being the backup keeper cum opener.

  1. Opening Combination:

Last time, when India toured South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia, a major reason behind the dismal performances were the numbers churned out by the openers. Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay in most cases faltered big time which meant there was no solid start right at the top. Off late, KL Rahul and Vijay have emerged as a decent opening pair with both individuals complementing each other quite well. While Rahul can be the aggressor, India will need Vijay’s ever solid and calm mindset to succeed in the delicate conditions of England and South Africa. The pair though still need to be wary around the corridor of uncertainty, Rahul especially. The backup to them can be Parthiv Patel, as he too can be relied upon to come in at some point of time.

A good start right at the top outside the sub-continent will make the job of the middle-order far simpler as the venom of the shining red ball will be negated.

  1. Slip Fielding:

Its rather ironic how one missed sitter can change the outlook of an entire series. That was precisely India’s case in England during the Southampton Test in 2014, when Ravindra Jadeja let off Alastair Cook in the slips, and from there on began India’s descent in the series. The trend was visible in Australia as well, with several easy catches being put down. Away from home when things are alien, dropping easy catches in the slips is nothing short of a grave crime. For instance, when batsmen of the quality of Joe Root, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Hashim Amla are let off, they are bound to make you pay big time.

For the upcoming tours later, the Virat Kohli-led side cannot afford to have any goof ups in the slips as even a minor error could spoil the entire outcome.

  1. Fitness Of Pacers:

Probably the biggest hurdle for India is the lack of ability of the Indian pacers to last long. In a Test series of four or five games, it is highly imperative of the fast bowlers to remain energetic and fit throughout. A basic instance of that was when Ishant Sharma, after a match winning performance at the Lord’s in 2014, missed the next two Tests that drastically affected the touring Indian party. The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav are genuine match winners but if they are to prove that outside Asia consistently, fitness will remain an integral part.

India cannot afford any circumstance where the lead pacer is injured mid-way through a Test or series. Such a situation is certain to make a mess of the team balance for the remainder of the series. Thus, managing the workload of India’s ace pace guns will be a priority for this vibrant young side.

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