Call him the Donald Trump of cricket or anything else, but the fact remains that Indian captain Virat Kohli has got under the skin of the Australians.
The Australians have for long got used to calling the shots in cricket. Now that India has a feisty skipper and “give-it-all” players, the Australians find themselves outsmarted in their own mind games.
Their silly statements just before the final Test doesn’t wash. Bowler Mitchell Starc, who went home from the tour after injury, has joined the queue by saying Indians are “scared of defeat by us”.
However, the constant chatter, gamesmanship, imitations and complaints have added to the drama of what has been an absorbing Test series so far. Instead of foul-mouthing opponents, the Australians must give themselves a pat on the back for fighting it out in difficult conditions. They could gloat on that but they prefer the baser things.
After the Sri Lanka debacle, the Australians had put in a lot of effort for this particular series. The early training camps in Dubai to hone skills against spin bowling, choosing players suited to the Sub-continent etc has paid off for the team.
But all these things have been forgotten in their one-sided battle against Kohli. They feel that the Indian captain complains too much. That’s like the pot calling the kettle black as the Australian team are probably Champion Complainers in cricket. Kohli was legitimate in saying that Australian captain Steve Smith had bent the rules when he looked up to his teammates in the dressing room to confirm a third umpire decision.
But the Aussie Press and some former cricketers started a barrage against Kohli, calling him all kind of names. Some of these former cricketers were known sledgers in their playing days. Now feigning sainthood doesn’t wear well.
India must be commended that they have not let it affect their performances.
So both teams know that when they trod on to the field in Dharamsala on Saturday for the fourth and final Test that this is where the thin line between defeat and victory lies.
Australia is already claiming that they have the momentum after their monumental effort to draw the third Test. But they have to transform that into the field. The way the series has gone so far, anything can happen in the decider.
Traditionally, the Dharamsala wicket helps the quicker bowlers. But the Indians will want it to spin and bounce later on to suit their main strength. The worry for India will be Kohli’s lack of form in the series. There have been a few misjudgements on his part which have led to early dismissals.
Then again it must be remembered that Kohli is class and he had scored big runs in the lead up to the Australian series. Losing a bit of form is but natural. The law of averages catches up. Obviously, the Australians will have a lot to say if Kohli continues his poor form.
All kinds of theories will be bandied to tell the world of how they got Kohli. One just hopes that the India skipper lets his bat do the talking one more time.
And let the Aussie Press know that whatever Trump may be, he still won the elections.
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