Going by what transpired in an afternoon net session, Virat Kohli could well miss today's fourth and final Test at Dharamsala. His form in this series has been poor, but no one can rule out the captain's recovery, resurgence and revival
Virat Kohli with his strapped right shoulder during a practice session in Dharamsala yesterday. Pic/PTI
India captain Virat Kohli's journey through the current home season resembles the picturesque, albeit tough road trip from Delhi to Dharamsala.
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The 490km trip from the Capital to this hill station which will play host to the all-important fourth and final series-deciding cricket Test between India and Australia beginning today, starts off smoothly. It then makes a crucial halt at Chandigarh mid-way, before the last and toughest leg - the tediously steep uphill climb to the final destination - Dharamsala.
Captain Kohli has seen a similar smooth start to his 13-match trip since the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur last September. He led the Indians to a 3-0 whitewash against the Kiwis and followed it up with a 3-0 humbling of the English and a hammering of Bangladesh in the one-off Test.
Then came a crucial juncture mid-way through his journey — two double hundreds — first against England (235) in Mumbai and then against Bangladesh (205) in Hyderabad. Thereafter however, in the final and toughest leg of his domestic trip, he has struggled in the three Tests against the Aussies en route to the winding uphill roads of Dharamsala.
Virat Kohli going through an afternoon batting session under the watchful eyes of bald physio Patrick Farhart, batting coach Sanjay Bangar and other support staff members in Dharamsala yesterday. Pics/Gaurav Joshi
With scores of 0, 13, 12, 15 and 6 in the first three Tests, compounded by a shoulder injury that threatens to keep him out of the fourth Test starting today, Kohli has a lot to ponder, as he stares into the snow-covered Dhauladhar mountain range that forms the backdrop of this crucial fixture. His bat has gotten eerily silent, and now, his refusal to come out and openly discuss his visible discomfort every time he attempts to exercise his right shoulder muscles, has left some asking whether his arrogance has overshadowed his attitude.
At yesterday's pre-match press conference, he admitted that a player had no right to play if he wasn't 100 per cent fit and that this rule applied to every member of this team, him included. "There is no special treatment for anyone. Only if I am 100 per cent fit for the game, will I take the field," he said. However, almost contradicting himself moments later, he added, "But as a player, as a captain, obviously you want to push yourself to take the field, if you can to help the team's cause," he added.
The conference was preceded by a two-hour practice session where Kohli did not bat in the nets. He did take a couple of throw downs from one of the net bowlers, but each time the ball was a little short and his shoulders came into play, he pulled back his arm and almost winced in discomfort. He said a fitness test would decide the outcome of whether or not he will play today. Then, moments after the press conference, he headed back to the nets with only batting coach Sanjay Bangar and physio Patrick Farhart for company.
Bangar threw down eight or nine deliveries after which the session ended with Kohli shaking his head in the negative and Bangar patting him on the back in consolation.
Kohli has been an emotionally over-charged battery throughout this series, and if he does take to the field today, it will be based on that mental strength alone. That India needs his leadership is an understatement.
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