On Thursday, the 25-year-old made his 5000th run in ODIs in his 114th innings, tying Sir Viv Richards for the fewest innings played to get to that mark. Yet those runs have often been accompanied by scowls and mouthfuls of swear words, as if a simmering rage against an unknown God constantly throbs under his skin. It has turned ugly at times too. Two years ago he abused an umpire for giving him out lbw in an ODI in Ahmedabad. He was also fined during India’s horrendous tour of Australia in 2011-12 for flicking off the Sydney crowd with his middle finger (he subsequently apologised). And in the 2013 IPL, he got into a heated spat with India team-mate Gautam Gambhir in one game and was booed by the crowd at the Wankhede Stadium in another. Kohli has an explanation: “I had this habit from childhood. I never liked being out, whether I am out on zero or I score a ton. I get angry.” But that doesn’t explain the swearing when he reaches his hundred, a moment of celebration that most batsmen savour. Whatever the reason for the rage though, it is serving India well, especially when it comes to batting second, an old failing. Kohli averages a staggering 65.54 when India chases. When India bats first, however, he is almost half the player, with an average of 37.56. In one instance, he is Bradman-esque, in the other, Peter Kirsten (albeit with a better strike-rate). It is worth noting the last two years in particular, over which period Kohli has averaged 61.23 in one-day cricket and scored 10 of his 17 centuries. His first innings average over that period improves to 41.72, but his average batting second is an even more phenomenal 77.95. By way of comparison, Richards, the man whose record he equalled, averaged 48.82 when West Indies batted first and 44.92 when they batted second. Sachin Tendulkar, the man he is being tipped to replace, averaged 47.34 batting first and 42.33 chasing. Michael Bevan, one of the best ODI finishers of all time, does have a better second innings average, but it is nowhere near as stark: 56.54 vs 51.66. So it isn’t just that Kohli performs better when he chases, which is rare enough, but that he is so much better. He is essentially in a category all on his own. For most batsmen, getting first use of the pitch is liberating. There is no set course that one must follow. A batsman is free to write his own script. A big chase creates an altogether different dynamic. There is pressure to start fast, which increases the risk of getting out. But start slowly, and the rising required rate can become a suffocating blanket. Kohli, though, has said he likes a a target. “I can plan my innings better. You can analyse how you want to bat, you can calculate and play.” Rather than weigh him down, a chase sets him up. He likes having his back to the wall. He likes the pressure, which might explain the swearing and the angry gesturing. Pressure always needs a release. Yet there are signs that Kohli is starting to mature. He has been talking to MS Dhoni – Captain Cool himself – to learn how to keep his emotions from bubbling over. He understands that if he wants to be a leader, he needs to control himself before he can control others. His response to tying Richards’ record is even more instructive: “To equal a feat with a player like him (Richards) is a very good feeling but it does not stop here because it is more or less the beginning. It is nice to equal his record but still there is a long way to go.” There was no gloating, no sense of self-satisfaction. Only the barest acknowledgement of a career well begun before his focus moved to all that is yet to be achieved. The good thing is if he does learn to put aside his rage and simply enjoy his cricket along with the rest of us, he won’t just be Tendulkar’s heir with the bat, he will be his heir in spirit too.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 11:06:48 +0000
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