“We are not bothered about another loss but we are not going to take a backward step, that’s for sure,” captain Virat Kohli had said after India suffered their first defeat, a resounding one, in the World Test Championship in Wellington.
Kohli’s words will resonate even more so if India loses another Test against New Zealand, in the process adding up an unwanted record as a Test skipper to his name. Whether relevant or not, this defeat should cast a poor light on not just the Indian Test team but also on Kohli’s captaincy.
Notably, India has never lost all the matches of a Test series since Virat Kohli took over as the captain. Although this might be India’s first overseas series where the visitors failed to win any Test match under Kohli, Virat’s record as a captain in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries has been far from impressive.
“We were not at our best in the game and there is no shame and harm in accepting that.”
Virat Kohli feels ‘competitiveness’ was lacking from India in their thumping Wellington loss. https://t.co/e8r5UVQZcQ
ICC (@ICC) February 24, 2020
If we look at the record books, Virat Kohli has managed to win only 4 matches and lost 9 matches after captaining India in 15 Test matches in SENA countries. This means that the World No.1 Test team has failed to win Test series in:
South Africa tour in 2018 (1-2)
England tour in 2018(1-4)
New Zealand (0-1) (At most, drawn series)
The silver lining of his captaincy remains historic Test series win in Australia. But still, he and his team, have underperformed largely in tough SENA conditions. Every other Indian team has faced criticism, every other good or bad international team faces criticism, needs to stop acting as if he only gets it.
As of now, MS Dhoni holds the unfortunate record of an Indian captain with most Test defeats overseas, with 15 away defeats. Well, Virat Kohli is not far behind with 10 losses and he is tied 2nd in the unwanted list with current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. If New Zealand seals the series in Christchurch, Virat Kohli will become the India captain with second-most Test defeats overseas.
Virat Kohli has also been having a below-par time with the bat on the ongoing New Zealand tour and after scoring just 21 runs in the 1st Test, he has now also stretched his poor overseas form.
Since smashing 593 runs during India’s 4-1 series defeat in England, Kohli has been struggling to perform away from home as evident by a solitary hundred in 14 innings.
“This is going to be the biggest of them all. Every team wants to make it to the final at Lord’s. And we are not any different.”
Virat Kohli is desperate for success in the ICC World Test Championship https://t.co/ngtQs6MK33
ICC (@ICC) February 19, 2020
In Wellington, India had been outplayed completely in most sessions and in every aspect during the course of the match. India’s batsmen struggled to deal with the hosts’ disciplined pace bowling attack in a 10-wicket loss in the first Test. India were dismissed for totals of 165 and 191 in the first Test at the Basin Reserve, with opener Mayank Agarwal the only player to pass 50 in either inning.
If Virat Kohli wants to avert the series defeat, his team must sort their top and middle-order woes as early as possible when they take on hosts in the final Test starting February 29.
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