Players are remembered for different reasons. Some for their deeds and some for failures. Virat Kohli’s case is a queer one. Unquestionably one of the greatest of batters of his generation, he has been spoken about of late for his inability to cope with spin bowling. His records are still quite overwhelming. However, there is a reason to think that he will be remembered for both reasons.
This is the tale of a strange contradiction. Kohli is on the same pedestal with Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson. They are the contemporaries he is compared with. There is no doubt that the Indian is head and shoulders above these peers when it comes to one-day cricket. He is perhaps the best batter in the history of the 50-over game.
At the same time, it is difficult to overlook that Kohli’s average has dipped below 50, unlike Root (51.01), Smith (56.97) and Williamson (54.48). For a long time, the Indian averaged above 50 in all three formats. While he still scores at 58-plus in ODIs and 48-plus in T20Is, the corresponding figure in the longest format reads 48.31 at the moment.
It’s an impressive number by any stretch of imagination. But to qualify as an all-time great in Test cricket, a batter usually has to average above 50, if he is not an opener. Indian greats like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid all did that. At the moment, Kohli is slightly below that standard and unless there is a sharp rise, he will remain below 50.
One reason Kohli has not been able to maintain those standards is his vulnerability against spin. It was first noticed in the Indian Premier League against leg-spinners. Subsequently, he got out against spin of other varieties in the longest format. Notably, not many of those dismissals were caused by leg-spinners. Be it off-spin or left-arm orthodox, Kohli succumbed with increasing regularity.
It has to be admitted that on a number of occasions, these failures came on pitches tailor-made for spinners. In several home Test series, India opted for turners in order to secure World Test Championship points. This resulted in a dip in the numbers of most other batters and not just Kohli. Undoubtedly, that played a big part in his inability to score big against spin.
Think of Smith, Root and Williamson. They didn’t have to bat in spin-friendly conditions as often as Kohli had to. Their challenges were different and Kohli has been almost as successful as them in conditions they are more familiar with. Last year in South Africa in extreme conditions favouring seam and swing, Kohli was perhaps the best batter from both sides. He averages 49.50 out there and above 54 in Australia. These are remarkable numbers.
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However, the lean returns against spin at home in recent years are equally true. Like nobody can dispute his scoring prowess abroad in conditions Indians are uncomfortable in, his tendency to lose the plot against spinners is equally indisputable. The ugly manner of his dismissal against Mitchell Santner in the second Test against New Zealand was an aberration as far as the shot attempted was concerned. It didn’t go against what had been the pattern.
This is in stark contrast with the greatest of Indian batters, whose names are mentioned in the same breath with Kohli. Gavaskar, Tendulkar and Dravid were master players of spin of all kind and conquerors. They also had to negotiate tricky pitches at times. Unlike Kohli, they didn’t show this level of discomfort against that particular variety of bowling. At this stage, it’s unlikely that this gap will be bridged.
Does it mean Kohli won’t be regarded as India’s all-time greats or one of the best Test batters of his generation? The answer is a loud no. His exploits are there for all to see. He scored centuries in all the countries he has played in except for Bangladesh and dominated some of the best bowlers of his generation. The manner of scoring those runs will be remembered.
At the same time, his late vulnerability against spin will also be remembered. It will remain a small blotch on his glittering career. Even the best of creations are not perfect. Kohli — the work of art, craft and more — is like that when it comes to spin. Nobody will forget the runs he made. Some will also remember this late shortcoming.
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