To call this cricket team India’s greatest ever on the strength of a string of victories, mostly at home, will certainly be a hyperbolic exaggeration fans are given to. But it won’t be wrong to speculate, on the strength of its solid performances, that this team shows the promise of scaling new peaks that have eluded the best of teams in the past. Whether they are able to achieve that aura of invincibility associated with the West Indies of the eighties or the Australians of the nineties is hard to guess and difficult to emulate, given India’s dismal overseas record and the inability of most team these days to perform well outside of their home conditions.
Virat Kohli, who is supremely confident and unusually pragmatic for a man of his temper, is aware of the cricketing history of the Indians. His response to Sunil Gavaskar’s assessment of the present team’s greatness is very measured and very true. He makes it clear that unless his team replicates what they have been doing at home in overseas conditions, they can’t be called among the best ever.
This Indian team is extremely lucky to have a man at the helm who is that rare blend of arrogance and humbleness that can turn a bunch of talented players into world-beaters. He is ruthless when required and patiently understanding of failures from his teammates. It is this quality that probably distinguishes him from all the past Indian skippers.
To suggest that he is closer to being a Dhoni than a Ganguly would seem a blasphemy, given how different the two appear in the physical manifestations of their inner feelings. If one is cool, almost expressionless and never given to facial contortions to convey displeasure or approval, the other is in a constant state of anxiety that registers so generously on his very mobile face.
Yet, there is a similarity in their responses to a crisis. Like Dhoni, Kohli too does not panic. Both have a highly philosophical view. They acknowledge the uncertain nature of the sport, where failure is as part of its DNA as is success. This helps in controlling even a potentially disastrous situation from going out of hand. And even when it does, you look ahead, learning from the mistakes made, instead of fretting over them unnecessarily.
This connection between the two is possibly the reason why they bond so well and could be the reason for Dhoni being so comfortable and at ease while playing under Kohli. The former captain, when the World Cup is played in 2019 would be nearing 40, yet the team has placed its faith in him. There is little doubt that there is no replacement in sight for Dhoni at the moment but most captains would have still been apprehensive about his fitness in that crucial period.
That Kohli believes Dhoni is not only his key man even two years down the line is evident in the respect he gives him on the field, even letting him lead the team during tense moments of the game. It speaks of Kohli’s maturity and mental balance that he is not letting his ego override the interest of the team.
This chemistry between the two is playing a very significant role in shaping the future of this team in the one-dayers.
Despite not being the captain anymore, Dhoni is still in the thick of things. This, probably, helps Dhoni to remain motivated and give his best, both as a performer and as a strategist. More importantly, this helps Kohli enhance his own leadership skills and keep the team together as one solid unit. All this augurs well for the future of Indian cricket and if even they can’t correct its past overseas record, then no future team possibly can.