The Spectator

It has been 5 years, 7 months and 182 matches since a certain Virat Kohli made his international debut. 8089 runs have come off his bat since then which accounts for 17.86% of runs scored by all Indian batsmen (in the matches involving Kohli); and improves to 19.77% in winning causes. 19 of his 25 tons have been hit when India has won, he has been the second highest run-getter in international cricket over the last 3 years and has a 3-figure knock against & in every test playing nation. These are featured highlights which you probably read every day and sometimes a large database smudges the nuances of each achievement. After India’s win over Bangladesh in the World T20 2014 league game (including a clinical knock of 57*), in a brief chat Virat spoke something which was delightfully pleasing for all those who have tracked his assured graduation. From being accompanied with adjectives like brash and impulsive, he can now boast of words like mature, thinker and responsible abou...

7 (out of 21) is the number of ODIs India has managed to win in the season whose conclusion precedes India's title defence in about 10 months. With 0.63 India's win-loss ratio is the second worst among the top 8 teams in this period. This may appear an isolated sample space but more than the numerical values the manner in which they have been rendered has yielded greater concern. Poor string of results invokes criticism but established names tend to command time, unlike the present situation where questions are being raised about ability and position in the side. Though such rhetoric carry higher emotional quotient, the common line of reaction assumes greater weight as time and the number of opportunities between now and February 2015 are limited. Barring a couple of names, India's core group has remained intact in the shorter formats over the last couple of years, with reasonable individual & collective success; albeit in patches. Thus deliberating upon this aspe...