When someone is promoted from the ranks to a position of authority, the first question he will have to tackle is: How do I treat my former mates, my water-cooler buddies? Do I continue to be a pal, or do I establish a hierarchy?
I once asked Tiger Pataudi how he tackled the problem when he took over as captain aged just 21, with every member of the team older and senior to him. There was Polly Umrigar, who had been playing Tests since Tiger was seven, Vijay Manjrekar, Chandu Borde. Also, Pataudi had bagged a pair in his previous tour match.
“My strategy was simple,” said Tiger. “The seniors will always resent you, no matter what you do. I ensured I had the support of the youngsters.” It seemed counter-intuitive but it worked for him. When Mahendra Singh Dhoni took over, he conveyed to the seniors that he was boss, and they kept out of his way. It helped that the competition had already led India and weren’t too keen on getting that job back.
Types of skippers
Indian captains have been water-cooler buddies (Krish Srikkanth), martinets (C.K. Nayudu), intense (Rahul Dravid), relaxed (Bishan Bedi), lucky (Ajit Wadekar), tacticians (Pataudi), adventurous (Kapil Dev), conservative (Sunil Gavaskar), balanced (Anil Kumble), unhappy (Sachin Tendulkar), sound (Sourav Ganguly), aggressive (Lala Amarnath). Virat Kohli has elements from all these predecessors. He has now led India in 40 Tests, winning 22 of them, and losing just nine.
Only two of those wins were outside Asia, against South Africa and England, both this year. One more examination, against Australia is due this year, and a series win there could make up for defeats in the earlier series.
Forty Tests is a sufficient sample — Pataudi led in that many, and among Indians, only Gavaskar, Azharuddin and Dhoni led in more — but it is possible Kohli’s best as captain is yet to come.
He is obsessed with his team in a manner few Indian captains have been, and focused on winning to an extent none have. Like Gavaskar, he is the best player in the team, but unlike the opening batsman is willing to risk defeat in pursuit of victory. In this he resembles Pataudi more than any of the others.
His team plays for him, which is a tremendous advantage. Kapil Dev briefly had this luxury too till he was sucked into team politics. Ian Chappell, to take an example from outside India, had a team that would die for him. Teammate Ashley Mallett put it well: “He created for his players an environment of trust, empowerment and enjoyment. He knew instinctively that if the workplace was a happy one his charges would give their all for the boss.” Kohli is headed in that direction.
Turning point
But he may be at a turning point in his captaincy. There aren’t enough wins abroad to guarantee a seat among the best. Losses tend to make a man more conservative, less inclined to take chances. Reactions to losses sometimes hasten the process. Kohli has always been aggressive, in-your-face while on the field, but off it he is polite, respectful and conscious of his duty as player and captain.
But the recent flare-up against a reporter at a press conference is of a piece with similar reactions by Indian captains who tended to take on the media when the team was not doing well. Kapil Dev came into press conferences on bad days looking turned off in sharp contrast to days when he was bubbling and keen to answer questions. He too picked on individuals.
Azharuddin, towards the end, thought the media conference was the ideal time to attend to personal grooming, and spent his time avoiding everybody’s eyes while cutting his toe nails. Dhoni’s outbursts were uncharacteristic of the man known as Captain Cool.
Learn about tactics
Despite his 40 Tests, Kohli is a young captain, only four years into the job. There is much he has to learn about tactics (in England he followed the ball, placing fielders in areas where the ball had just gone), especially in the matter of handling his bowlers.
He is not a spin bowler’s captain, unable to understand the time and planning required to earn a Test wicket. He tends to over-bowl his best men. There is little attempt to hustle the batsman or put pressure on them especially in the latter half of the innings.
Kohli, 29, is an intelligent man, and will learn to do these things. He has fired the team with a version of his intensity, and that’s important. He has no competition — and that’s the best time to work on legacy.
There will be major provocations in Australia from players who know how to get under an opponent’s skin. Kohli needs to channelise his aggression, learn to carry players less talented than himself, and light a fire under the talented but less committed.
Not all good captains have been great tacticians, but they have all got the best out of their players. In the end, the scoreline matters.
