Does this Virat Kohli-reliant team have a leadership group at all?
belief running through every individual in the team (including the support staff) that all is not lost and that they’ll bounce back. India did display this attitude after losing the first two Tests against South Africa earlier this year. The only difference between the two teams was India’s hunger to make the Test match count and they did.
Once again, India will have to show similar hunger and attitude to fight it out right till the end. It’s not easy since the personnel involved are going through a horrid patch themselves and that’s why India need an inspirational performance from someone else besides Kohli.
It’s important to instill the belief that this team isn’t about Kohli, which is how it’s looking like currently. Indian cricket’s golden age happened only after Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag and Ganguly not only shared the workload with Tendulkar but also outshone him regularly.
While it’s a blessing to have special talent like Tendulkar and Kohli in your side (opposition is always wary and in awe them), a team starts achieving its potential only when the rest contribute significantly. Performances in South Africa have raised concerns and if India doesn’t turn it around in the next three Tests in England, there’s a real danger of this side disintegrating ahead of the Australian tour later this year. And that’ll be a shame.