RUN MACHINE VIRAT ENTERS THE ELITE 50TON CLUB
NEWDELHI: Sachin Tendulkar was seen as the heir to Sunil Gavaskar for the title of run machine, though Rahul Dravid too carried that legacy forward with his sheer batting consistency.
Now, Virat Kohli has taken over as India’s all-weather batsman.
The India skipper became the team’s driving force even before taking over the leadership. And going into the Nagpur Test against Sri Lanka, he is on the verge of a milestone that is more than just a big number.
Kohli equalled Gavaskar’s record for most centuries by an Indian Test skipper (11) with his 104 not out in Kolkata on Day 5.
Point out Kohli’s 87.39 strike rate in that innings, and Gavaskar might respond with a mischievous smile.
His reputation as batting anchor was built by aligning peerless technique with cricket acumen, like walking slowly in to bat when it’s overcast to let the pupils dilate.
DRAWS MATTERED
He also played in an era when draw was an important result. Much depended on Gavaskar’s batting form when India toured as it was about facing mean fast bowlers on lively pitches without a helmet. He wore a skull cap only towards the end of his career.
However, Gavaskar and Kohli have a certain bloody-mindedness that is key to succeed as batsmen and feeds into the captaincy.
Kohli, of course, has cranked up aggression and is will settle for nothing but victory. Drawn Tests are no longer appealing.
On the 2014 New Zealand tour, Kohli spoke about the need for aggression even while defending, an attitude that has stood out in his infancy as Test captain. Though he has tempered that aggression, the team has responded well to his push for intent.
Kohli can be proud of the numbers. Of his 61 Tests, 30 have been as captain with an impressive batting average of 60.54, against an overall 50.12. Gavaskar led in 47 of the 125 Tests he played, in more than one term, and he averaged 50.72 (overall 51.12).
What the basic numbers prove is their ability to switch off captaincy worries once they cross the boundary rope to bat.
The captain’s batting form energises the team, which has been absolutely true with Virat Kohli. Gavaskar’s steel shone through during a phase when cricket could resemble a mortal combat against hostile pacers. Kohli is the modern version, calm to the core while chasing targets.
CHANGING TIMES
Cricket in the 1970s and 1980s such that India’s resilience was judged as much on draws, in Pakistan, Australia, England or the West Indies. Overall talent has dipped, with the best players injured more often due to nonstop playing.
Kohli is likely to go past Gavaskar’s record in this series. But captaincy and batting will be more challenging in 2018-19 with three major tours lined up.
England is one of them. Kohli will be keen to set the record straight after the 2014 failure --and play swing bowling like Gavaskar.