12 July,2022 09:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Michael Jeh
Virat Kohli
The King is dead. Long live the King. Whilst that might have been the case in 1461 when Charles VII ended his innings, it takes a brave pundit to write off Virat Kohli just yet. In fact, any philosopher, renowned for his wisdom would probably remind us that there is an old saying that goes something like champions being like seeds - they gain strength when you bury them.
Was Kohli's innings at Trent Bridge in the third T20 on Sunday the last throw of the dice of a drowning man or the first signs of genius being (almost) reincarnated? Unless you are privy to the inner-sanctum of the Indian think-tank, it is hard to know what Kohli was told (or guessed for himself) in terms of the selectors' plans for the T20 World Cup later this year in Australia.
It might have been as generous as reminding him that Indian cricket has a long memory that owes Kohli a debt, albeit with a use-by date. Or it could have been a brutal reminder that the future waits for no man, even if there were times when he dined in heaven.
As much as I am saddened by Kohli's increasingly erratic behaviour, it hasn't (yet) sullied the indelible mark that his reign will leave on those of us who love the artistry of batting as much as the modern-day brutality that belongs to the new princes-in-waiting, the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan and Deepak Hooda.
His record in Australia must surely count for something where being able to hold your shape and drive on the up will be as important as being able to play the swivel pull.
The pitches in Australia in October will be fresh and lively, almost two months before the Big Bash usually kicks off so it may not quite be the flat batting tracks that we are accustomed to in late summer.
For that reason alone, India may have to think carefully about whether to load up with genuine batsmen like Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer to counter the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins.
As tempting as it may be to fill your team with bash merchants, the pitches at that time of year, especially after an incredibly wet winter, will require some circumspection and a more conventional Powerplay approach than what statisticians might glean from merely looking at Big Bash numbers.
The general consensus in Australia is that if you lose two-plus wickets in the Powerplay, especially in the spring (October, November), there are no guarantees that you can cash in heavily at the death because the pitches will still offer the quicks some sideways movement with a newish ball under lights.
Horses for coursesâ¦Kohli may still have a crucial role to play in scoring runs with a straight bat technique even though he may lack the raw savagery of flat track bullies.
What's even more fascinating is to see the legacy that the IPL has gifted to everyone, but India. Since the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa which India paid scant attention to until their young guns suddenly turned the game upside down by winning the damn trophy, two things are notable.
Firstly, in response to that triumph, the sleeping giant of T20 franchise cricket was awakened and the IPL was born. The IPL and the other progeny that it has spawned will go on to become the single biggest change agent in cricket when historians look back on a game that is unrecognisable from its ânovelty' baby stage. But in all that time, what began as India's gift to themselves has increasingly become a treasure they have unwittingly bequeathed to the rest of the world. India have not won a T20 World Cup since 2007, despite arguably being the most consistent performers in between World Cup cycles.
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The IPL not only encouraged every other country to develop their own T20 skills nurseries, but the winds of fortune blew every other trading vessel to India's shores, not only making millionaires of foreign mercenaries, but also giving them the skills and exposure to playing against the very best of their peers.
Furthermore, it has partially demystified the mystique of playing on Asian pitches against mystery spinners, nullifying one of India's key weapons. In fairness, it has also made Indian batsmen much more comfortable in taking on the short ball and their fast bowlers are amongst the best in the world so the IPL could easily be referred to as Intellectual Property Loans.
The great irony is that during this period, India's Test cricket has not suffered. In fact, they are consistently among the best Test cricketers in the world, at a time when everyone feared that the obsession with the T20 format would kill techniques. Pant's thrilling hundreds at the Gabba and Edgbaston are just two examples of the David Warner Syndrome - initially made for T20's but going on to become a solid Test cricketer.
Enter the world of the gourmet burger; made for takeaway but now a-la-carte fare for the discerning. And that's why I still hope India won't throw Kohli out with the bathwater because as the famous author from the land I love the most (Zimbabwe) said: "A champion is one who is remembered. A legend is one who is never forgotten." - Matshona Dhliwayo
Michael Jeh is a Brisbane-based former first-class cricketer
