Colombo: Indian captain Virat Kohli lauded centurion Ajinkya Rahane for setting up victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka and said the right-hander can bat at three positions.
“Ajinkya can bat at 3, 5 or 6. We know that Rohit can bat at 3 and 5. Both can bat well with the tail. The kind of versatility we have in our batting order that everyone is ready to bat at any position and that kind of mindset is important to win Test matches,” Kohli said after India notched up a resounding 278-run win on Monday to level the three-match series 1-1.
India spoiled Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell party with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin spinning the visitors to an emphatic victory at the P Sara Oval cricket stadium in Colombo.
Indian team management had reshuffled the batting order in the second Test against Sri Lanka sending Rahane at number three and Rohit at five.
“You need to figure out who’s playing well at that point and who can handle a particular position well. I remember my own case where I wasn’t scoring too many runs after England, I was pushed to No.4. So I walk out to bat when the situation is good, I will go and make some runs and I will get my confidence back and then I returned to No.3,” Kohli said.
Kohli’s aggression and penchant for taking calculated risks may buck the trend of India not winning enough Tests overseas, feels Australian great Adam Gilchrist.
“I think his [Kohli] natural attacking style will help the team take on new frontiers [winning overseas and conquering final frontiers]. He looks like the sort of guy who is prepared to take risks, certainly in his individual play,” Gilchrist said.
“With time, he will learn more about his style of leadership — whether he is prepared to take the risks in winning or losing a match. He is a risk-taker and I think that will make for positive cricket,” Gilchrist said in New Delhi.
The win against Sri Lanka in Colombo was India’s first after nine Tests, all away, besides giving Kohli his maiden victory as captain. Besides that fact, India are yet to win a series in Australia and South Africa.
The stylish captain brings fresh energy to the team as the new leader but India’s performance abroad remains a worry, something that has acknowledged by the BCCI top brass especially secretary Anurag Thakur.
In Kohli’s style of captaincy, the dashing wicketkeeper-batsman found shades of Michael Clarke, who retired from international cricket a couple of days back. “I would say Kohli is very similar to Clarke. He [Clarke] was also a risk-taker with regards to being prepared to lose even when there is a chance to win. Look he was a world class batsman. The leading batsman in the world for number of years.”
— With inputs from PTI
