Mumbai: “I’ve never been a big believer in a lot of preparation, if that makes sense,” Virat Kohli said while receiving the Player of the match award on Sunday in Ranchi. With those words, Kohli didn’t leave much unsaid.
How much preparation is good preparation? What is ideal in a cricket calendar which has many formats, where players pick and choose?
There have been ongoing efforts from the national selectors to encourage every contracted player to play domestic cricket in between international tours. Exceptions are made only for the fast bowlers. Now that Kohli and Rohit Sharma play only in ODI cricket, they are expected to turn up for their state teams in Vijay Hazare 50 overs action, starting December 24 ahead of the Jan 11-18 ODI series against New Zealand. The players have not said no, and they will play if they must. But if he had his way, Kohli seemed to be hinting towards a preference for customised practice over match play.
“If you have played 300-odd ODI games and so much cricket over the last 15-16 years, if you’re in touch with the game and you know that when you’re hitting balls at practice, your reflexes are there, your physical ability is there to bat long, if you can bat an hour and half to two hours in the nets without taking a break, you’re kind of meeting all those markers,” he said.
Now, Kohli is a bonafide ODI legend. He has just returned to international action after a month and stroked his 52nd ton in the format; three more than the next best, his hero Sachin Tendulkar. A month ago he had played his last ODI in Australia, flown back to his home in London, returned to India, practiced twice under the Ranchi sun, once under lights, rested on pre-match day, and got back to cover driving like he had never been away.
‘Can he make it work despite playing one format?’, they asked. Kohli showed the early signs that he could.
Like Kohli, Rohit Sharma has his own practice routines. Those familiar with Rohit’s methods say, his focus now is on keeping himself in prime physical shape. Hitting the ball is more muscle memory. And this approach too seems to be working as the right-hander has three back-to-back 50-plus scores to his name.
“I understand if there’s a dip in form, you look for games and you try to get that form back,” Kohli added.
From the selectors’ standpoint, there is the argument that he needs to guard precisely against that dip in form, especially now that he is on the wrong side of the 30s. Both Kohli and Rohit experienced how form deserted them towards the backend of their Test journey. It is only through their domestic showings that the selectors can judge their game sharpness.
The other point being, Indian cricket is a more organised set up and has traditionally been reluctant to let players make their own rules. In New Zealand, for example, Kane Williamson can take a break to play Hundred in the UK, and return to play for the Blackcaps under a flexi contract. Here, with the BCCI rewarding players handsomely, the senior players are expected to set an example.
Kohli-Gambhir equation
From time to time exceptions are taken based on how the decision making group sees the player and what value he holds for the team. You don’t have to be a body language expert to see that the relationship between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir has hit a rough patch. And because they are no longer just ex-Delhi team mates, but coach and player, BCCI is expected to broach the topic when they try to tighten loose ends of Indian cricket in a stock taking meet on Wednesday.
It is clear Rohit and Virat want to play the 2027 World Cup if they can. And so far they haven’t put a foot wrong. Discussions may revolve around the path the two senior players want to take to reach their destination. It was far from ideal, that Kohli’s net sessions in the lead up to the ongoing series were all last minute planning. It was because of a communication gap between the player and the coaching set up. Efforts will be made to fix the gap.
Kohli and Rohit have played a major hand in the past few ODI matches. The two have stitched back-to-back hundred run partnerships in Sydney and Ranchi. Around them, Yashasvi Jaiswal is trying to find his feet at the top, an inexperienced middle order is searching for the right tempo. With Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer currently missing, Kohli and Rohit’s presence is comforting for the dressing room.
Kohli has regained his silken touch. Rohit is middling the ball too. Indian cricket stands to gain from their experience, provided there are some adult conversations in the room.
