Kohli’s evolution through Vettori’s glasses

Kohli’s evolution through Vettori’s glasses

Virat Kohli had already spent three seasons with Royal Challengers Bangalore when Daniel Vettori arrived from Delhi Daredevils before the start of season four of the Indian Premier League, in 2011. The New Zealand left-arm spinner marshalled the Bangalore franchise’s fortunes for two seasons before handing over the captaincy responsibilities to Kohli and taking over as the head coach.

The one-time Kiwi skipper has had a first-hand view of the growth of Kohli the batsman, the athlete and the captain/leader, and is clearly beyond impressed with what he has seen. In many ways, Kohli is the exact antithesis of what Vettori the cricketer was. The bespectacled Kiwi was a quiet, calm, unflappable presence on the cricket field, in direct contrast to India’s mercurial, aggressive, in-your-face captain. But Vettori identifies with the inner Kohli spark, his relentless quest to become the best in the business, and to lead by example in every way imaginable.

Ahead of Season 11 of the world’s most dynamic Twenty20 league, Vettori oversaw a brief conditioning and skills camp enveloping Indian representatives of the franchise currently not involved in international or domestic cricket. Having recovered from the ‘most intense auction I have been involved in’, Vettori took time off to speak to Wisden India on the phenomenon called Kohli, and his unmistakable influence on the RCB dressing-room and beyond.

“I am excited that he is having a rest at the moment!” Vettori began, clearly thrilled that his key man was finally listening to the demands, if not the complaints, of his body. After a high-intensity tour of South Africa, Kohli was rested from the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka which India won under Rohit Sharma on Sunday (March 18). “He can have a little bit of a break (from time to time), though I am not sure he knows how to rest.”

Vettori has travelled alongside Kohli in the latter’s journey of self-discovery, and his sustained quest for excellence. “I am lucky enough to have seen Virat at all stages of his career,” the man with 362 Test wickets, 305 One-Day International scalps and nearly 7000 international runs observed. “He was here when I was the captain of the (RCB) team, he was young and trying to be successful, trying to find his way. To develop himself into obviously a fantastic batsman, and he is also one of the fittest people in world cricket… Those two things have set an example for all of Indian cricket. Everyone tries to train in a similar manner, it has taken the Indian team forward dramatically and I think that has been a testament to him, how a leader should be showing the way. That has built into his leadership as a captain.

“The thing I have found with Virat in particular as a captain – and obviously there’s two sides to it… There is the passion – to do whatever he can to win on game day on the field. He is very keen to win on the field on game day. And then off the field, he is very receptive to information, he is very receptive to listening and wanting to learn. He wants to get better as well as having his own thoughts on everything that is going on in the game of cricket. None of us can really appreciate the magnitude of his role and the pressure that is on him and how exhausting some of the schedule is. But he manages it better than anyone I have ever seen.”

There is no let-up in Kohli’s intensity at any stage of the game or at any level, but that isn’t something that comes as a surprise to Vettori. “There is a passion for cricket,” he said, matter-of-factly, as if to say that there was no need for further explanation. Then, acknowledging the unasked follow-up, he continued, “If you sit down with Virat, you are talking cricket most of the time. He loves the game and that’s the thing that keeps the passion going. Also, his personal success and his team’s success. But if you have an innate love for the game, it gets you through everything. I think that’s the point where he is at. He obviously wants to be the best in the world, he’s got the talent to do it but he has backed it up with intensity and also the desire to keep improving. That comes from a genuine love of the game.”

Kohli has set the benchmark that others strive to emulate, but what works for him need not necessarily be the best for the rest. Admitting that there was no set template that would work for all individuals, Vettori allayed fears that in trying to emulate the example-setting captain, there was a danger that other players might sell themselves short.

“The main thing is that they are all trying it (the Kohli way), seeing if it works for them,” he pointed out. “That’s professional sports across the world, athletes at their absolute peak. I think the example is great and a lot of the guys are following that example. They just have to find what their own levels are but I don’t think you’d ever want to deny them trying to get to that level.”

Preview: India v Bangladesh, Final

Preview: India v Bangladesh, Final

Match date: March 18

Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

Have Bangladesh calmed down after the highly intense virtual semifinal against Sri Lanka on Friday? Or will the momentum they gained through the tense, thrilling win actually aid them going into the big game on Sunday?

That’s the key factor as they take on India in the final of the tri-nation Nidahas Trophy 2018. Bangladesh are clearly on a high, while India, despite being a second-string side, have the aura of a been-there-done-that outfit.

The two times India and Bangladesh met in the initial stage, it was India who came out on top. Bangladesh did manage to stretch Rohit Sharma’s men in parts, but weren’t able to do much beyond that. However, they’d believe they are a different side especially after the stunning win in their last game. The manner of their victories in both their matches against Sri Lanka should give them confidence – and the opposition worry – that they can beat any side on their day.

In their own words, they are playing a ‘Bangladesh’ brand of T20 cricket – which has produced mixed results so far. That brand nearly cost them dear in other ways too, with Shakib Al Hasan, their captain, perhaps lucky to escape a suspension despite some ill-advised behaviour in the game against Sri Lanka.

The good news for them is that he is still there, and they’ll definitely need his experience on the big day. India began the tournament with a loss to Sri Lanka but have put that behind, winning their next three to get this far. They’ve looked the most all-round team in the tournament, and will be keen to have one final good game.

IN-FORM PLAYER:

India:
Washington Sundar: 4-0-28-2, 4-0-23-0, 4-0-21-2 and 4-0-22-3. These are young Washington’s figures in the four games in the tournament, saying everything about his form. He has shared the new ball in each of the four games, making his achievements even better!

Bangladesh:
Mahmudullah: That last-ball six against Sri Lanka will remain in Bangladesh fans’ memories forever. His unbeaten 43 off just 18 balls has got Bangladesh this far, and he’ll be the man to watch out for on the big day against India.

TEAM NEWS
Mohammed Siraj conceded 50 runs from four overs in India’s last game, and the team management would be tempted to drop him for Jaydev Unadkat.

Bangladesh are unlikely to tinker with a winning combination.

QUOTES
“The first thing that Rohit said is that even though we had a few of our players missing, we are looking to play exactly the kind of cricket we’ve played over the past one year. We are looking to win every match that we play, and till now we’ve been pretty successful in this tournament. We’re looking forward to one more good game.” – Dinesh Karthik.

“The new brand of T20 cricket, we need to continue playing aggressively and fearlessly. That is our code word.” – Sunil Joshi, Bangladesh spin consultant.

Teams (from):
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant (wk).

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah Riyad, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Hider, Abu Jayed, Ariful Haque, Nazmul Islam, Nurul Hasan, Mehedi Hasan.

Kohli and Jaffer: Two sides of the same fitness coin

Kohli and Jaffer: Two sides of the same fitness coin

A tumultuous week for cricket, in cricket. On the field, but off it too.

Contracts. Charges of domestic abuse and attempt to murder. Code of Conduct breaches, fines, suspensions, appeals. Suspect actions. The CoA’s crackdown on BCCI babudom, draconian or much-needed, depending on which side of the fence you are looking in from.

The emergence from the shadows of an unheralded teenaged offspinner from Chennai. The increasing affirmation of ability by a young but excitable paceman from South Africa. Australia Women’s unsaid statement that their Indian counterparts caught them on a bad day and a Harmanpreet Kaur-inspired heist at the World Cup. Nepal’s remarkable climb to One-Day International status.

And Wasim Jaffer’s inexorable march towards a third first-class triple-century, 21 seasons after he announced his arrival on the domestic scene with an unbeaten 314 in just his second game, for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy against Saurashtra.

There is a simplicity to Jaffer’s batting that is mind-boggling. A picture of poised composure at the batting crease, tall and upright and elegant, his willow-wielding is characterised by an economy of movement with more than commensurate returns. As he eases that long left foot to the pitch of the ball and caresses it through the covers, or gets his feet together to wrist the ball through mid-wicket, he cuts a pretty, pretty delectable picture. He is the consummate professional who has transferred his experience and expertise from his beloved Mumbai to his adopted home in Nagpur. His influence in Vidarbha’s surge to their maiden Ranji Trophy title this season has been acknowledged by all and sundry.

Jaffer goes about his business without fuss. On the field, he is almost anonymous unless the ball hovers aerially anywhere close to his massive mitts. There is little indication that this man is the top run-getter in Ranji history, that he has upwards of 18,000 first-class runs, that he played 31 Test matches over an eight-year stretch, or that he has two Test double-hundreds – one in the Caribbean, the other against Pakistan in November 2007 in what remains the penultimate Test between the two nations.

Jaffer is of a vintage increasingly rare in Indian cricket. He was born in the 1970s and, recently, slipped into his 41st year on this planet. That’s an age where people leading even sedentary lifestyles start to contemplate retirement from full-time occupations if they have the security of a reasonable bank-balance to fall back on. That’s an age where a majority of the cricketers slip into the ‘former’ category, targeting commentary gigs and media deals and perhaps a dabble in IPL backroom activities, as mentor or this fancy coach or that fashionable consultant or whatever title catches the imagination of the powers that be. Not for our Wasim, it would appear.

To hear him talk about passion and commitment, you might imagine a platitude to the clichés and a practiced, rehearsed rendition, but how could you be a cynic when, at 40, he can bat for 12 hours, negotiate 425 deliveries and ballet to 285 not out? Admittedly on an absolute shirt-front, but against an attack that is far from toothless. Siddarth Kaul, Navdeep Saini, Jayant Yadav and Shahbaz Nadeem make for a reasonably handy quartet. Throw R Ashwin, the quickest to 300 Test wickets, in the mix, and it is a bowling group that is capable of holding its own even on batting beauties. Not, it would seem however, if Jaffer is the batting beauty.

Apart from drive and determination, hunger and fire, and perhaps even the escape that cricket/batting provides, the key to Jaffer’s longevity lies in his fitness. He may not be obsessively in-your-face with multiple videos showing him pumping iron or eating up the miles on the treadmill, but unless he sticks to a fitness regimen that is both demanding and fruitful, he would have found it impossible to keep pace with lads biologically young enough to be his kids. It is unlikely that Jaffer is Olympics-fit, but he doesn’t need to be, does he? So long as he is cricket-fit, 285-not-out-and-counting-fit, who cares?

When it comes to fitness, though, there are no prizes for guessing who sets the benchmark in Indian cricket. There are some who only look fit. And then there is Virat Kohli, every bit as fit as he looks, near-fanatical in his routines, near-obsessed with his attention to detail.

The one constant in Kohli’s eye-popping journey up the cricketing charts has been his intensity. It was his calling card when he was a chubby, unapologetic teenager leading his country to the Under-19 World Cup. It is still his calling card when he has graduated from captain of boys to leader of men, setting himself up as the unmistakable face of new India, of young India, of aggressive India, of ignore-me-at-your-own-peril India.

Looking from the outer, it’s an intensity that is almost frightening. You sometimes fear that the fire in Kohli might end up consuming him. That he might become a victim of his own extraordinarily high standards. That, in giving his all each second, each minute, each hour and each session and each day, he might end up not having anything at all in the tank – detrimental to the cricket world and Indian cricket, yes, but more importantly, to Virat Kohli himself.

Clearly, those fears are unfounded. Virat Kohli seems to know exactly what he is doing. He is alive to the load he is putting on his body, the demands he is making of his mind, the limits he is pushing himself to. His recent remarks on workload management indicate that he is – perhaps finally – taking note of his body’s protestations at what he is putting it through. No matter what grade of cricket, no matter the quality of the opposition, no matter whether the stately pace of Test cricket or the hustle-and-bustle of the 20-over game, Kohli has left nothing behind in the changing-room.

His unparalleled fitness allows him to be nearly as fresh at the end of a frenetic 20-over innings as its start, as charged-up and looking for the extra run in the last over of a Test-match day as, say, the first hour of play. He hunts down balls in the infield and outfield like his very existence depends on it, setting an example that his less gifted teammates struggle to match. Throw in the cares/pressures/burdens of captaincy, and it is not hard to think ‘burnout’ in the same breath.

For Kohli to speak publicly about managing his cricketing commitments, on voluntarily finding gaps in the crowded calendar to recharge mentally and regroup physically, is perhaps the most encouraging development in recent times in Indian cricket. While his legion of fans would love to see him in relentless action day in and day out, it is humanly impossible even for Kohli to keep up this manic pace. Already, there are enough indications that he is choosing carefully; the advertisers might not be thrilled to see an Indian team without Kohli, but the Indian captain’s responsibility is not towards them, needless to say.

The Kohli template is unique in almost every way imaginable. It is unlikely that he will sit out every other series – or even every third one or the occasional IPL season – because that is not in his DNA, but as and when he does feel the need, he will do so, he has told the world. Not only has he earned that right, it is also in the long-term best interest of Indian cricket.

We missed the experience of the seniors, rues Gibson

We missed the experience of the seniors, rues Gibson

India’s terrific comeback in the limited-overs series – they clinched the One-Day International series (5-1) and Twenty20 International series (2-1) after a 1-2 loss in the Tests was an eye-opener for the South Africans.

But Ottis Gibson, South Africa’s head coach, who spoke to the media after India’s seven-run victory in the third T20I in Cape Town on Saturday (February 24), wasn’t too disturbed by the result.

“If you see, some of our guys got injured,” he said. “The new guys that came in, the level and the intensity they have had to perform is different from what they have been accustomed to and they haven’t stepped up to and haven’t been able to adapt quickly enough. We’ve seen some exciting new talent.

“We have seen exciting new players in the one-day series. Lungi (Ngidi) made a debut, Heinrich Klaasen made his debut and he has been excellent, Junior Dala in this T20I series was also very good, and we saw a little bit of Christiaan Jonker. He was very good,” he added. “Losing is not always very easy. But when you are missing so many of your seniors, and then some new people come in and put their names forward, the result can be hard to take. You obviously look at the future and the future, with some of the youngsters, seems like is going to be bright.”

AB de Villiers, one of the senior players missing in action, is expected to be back for the Test series against Australia, which should provide the South African camp with some confidence.

“Seniors in any team makes it stronger,” said Gibson. “Especially the seniors we have coming back in the team. It has been a massive loss without them being there. We all thought that AB’s body is better than what it was in ODIs. I hope he is somewhere near 100% and he can take place in his team. Even Dale Steyn is not far away again. So we missed the seniors in this series, no doubt about that. Having them back will give everybody a lift.”

Gibson also stressed on the importance of some of the players going back to the hard grind of domestic cricket to fix the few chinks in their armour.

“I think you remember before I got back, all the players were asked to play domestic cricket. So I am a big fan of strong domestic league or tournaments that will then produce better players for international cricket. If you have international cricketers not performing, then I’d think domestic cricket would be the place to go back and raise the standard of cricket so that it becomes a little bit better,” he said. “Those guys who haven’t performed in this series have done well in the past. They have been big players in the past and people can always be out of form – that is part of the spot. It is how you bounce back and the attitude that you have toward practicing and preparation that will help you to get back where you want to be and where you belong in terms of your form. So it is just about those guys being very clear in their minds of what exactly they want to do and I will help them along the way.”

Chris Morris, for instance, was one of the players who Gibson insisted would need to find his form by playing domestic cricket.

 

“He would go back to play some domestic cricket,” Gibson revealed. “There is the IPL, whenever it starts, I am not sure when it starts. But before that, he has got some domestic cricket to go which will help him get some consistency in his bowling. He is a match-winner. We had a conversation, myself and him. I am not telling you anything that I haven’t told him. So he just needs to find what type of bowler he wants to become and put practice in that and work in to become that person.”

Speaking on what was the main difference in the two camps, Gibson highlighted the lack of experience in South Africa’s camp in the limited-over games.

“Experience. India have got (Jasprit) Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, two very experienced players,” he pointed out. “We’ve got (Chris) Morris and Junior Dala, who is making his debut. The experience they have of playing not just for India but also playing three or four years of IPL cricket shows. Junior held his own very well, but Morris has got a lot of work to do.”

Looking ahead, Gibson said there would probably be different types of pitches laid out for the upcoming series against Australia.

“Well, it is a different opposition, so therefore, the sort of make-up of the team will be different,” he said. “We have to get to Durban and see what the wicket is going to be like. I think the last time we tried to speak to the groundsman, everybody knows what happened at the Wanderers. So we’ve left the groundsman to prepare the best possible pitches they can get this time and see what happens.”

The first Test between South Africa and Australia will be played in Durban from March 1.

Performance in South Africa will boost confidence, says Bhuvneshwar

Performance in South Africa will boost confidence, says Bhuvneshwar

A seven-run victory over South Africa in the third Twenty20 International in Cape Town on Saturday (February 24) completed a fairly successful tour for India. They wrapped up the T20I series 2-1 to go with the One-Day International series victory. Prior to the limited-overs leg of the tour, India had lost a tightly contested three-Test series 2-1.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who enjoyed tremendous success in the tour across formats, said the performance in South Africa gave the team confidence ahead of more overseas assignments in England and then Australia.

“This tour has been brilliant, especially the Tests. Yes we lost the series but it was all close,” he said. “It could have been 3-0, 2-1 whatever. We’re very confident going to England or Australia. We know we’ve done well in South Africa and we can do well in other countries, but we have to prepare well.”

Things could have perhaps been different in the Test series too, had Bhuvneshwar, India’s top performer in the first Test, not been dropped for the second, which India ended up losing. The allrounder though, was content with his and the team’s performance.

“I don’t want to be too greedy but we’re lucky to win two trophies,” he said. “I really don’t want to go back to Test matches and why I didn’t play (second Test). It’s all about team effort. That match, there were bowlers for those conditions. We’re happy with two trophies. Hopefully next time we come here and we’ll win all.”

While Bhuvneshwar was Player of the Series for his seven wickets in three games, the Player of the Match on Saturday was Suresh Raina. The left-hander made a 27-ball 43 batting at No. 3 and then bagged the wicket of David Miller.

The performance completed a decently successful comeback for him. He had scored of 15 and 31 in the first two games.

Raina, whose career is in a very different stage compared to Bhuvneshwar’s, yet again stressed the importance of the opportunity to play, and was grateful to Virat Kohli for giving him the No. 3 spot.

“I’ve worked really hard for the last two years. Each and every session in the gym, on the field, I was just hoping when I was going to play for India again,” he said. “God has been really kind, thanks to my wife, kid, they’ve really made me believe I can go there and wear the Indian jersey again. That’s what Indian team does. A lot of sacrifices you do for your life and at the same time you enjoy your cricket. I’ve worked really hard on my game as well as my mental toughness.

“When Team India wins, everything looks so nice. The way Virat led the side in the last 2.5 months, it showed he cares each and every person. Batting at No. 3 is big in T20 and he gave me the license to just go after the bowlers. He showed faith in me, at the same time I enjoyed batting with Shikhar (Dhawan). He made me more comfortable, at the other end he was just telling me to look to enjoy and express. That’s what we did in the first six overs. T20 cricket is a lot about the first six overs. You can put a lot of bowlers in the backfoot easily if you have wickets in hand.”

Now after a decent run in the T20Is, and with India facing middle-order batting woes in white-ball cricket, Raina was confident he will be back in the mix for ODIs soon ahead of the 2019 World Cup.

“(This series was) very important for me. From here, we’re going to play in Sri Lanka and then IPL,” he explained. “We have a lot of matches coming up. I was part of the World Cup 2011 and in my first World Cup, I got the trophy in my house. That’s an unbelievable feeling. Coming back to the one-day squad, I’ve done well at the No. 5 spot. It’s just a matter of couple more games and I can ensure that I will be there very soon.”