Four Virat Kohli Decisions That Flummoxed Every Indian

Why persist with Rohit Sharma? Whose idea was Harbhajan’s call-up? Binny as 16th man? Anyone else got more questions?

1. Rohit-Must-Play-Tests-Sharma

Doesn’t need much explaining, this one, does it?

In 21 test innings since his debut in November 2013, Rohit Sharma has scored all of 681 runs at an average of 35.84.

And it gets better. This year, in his three tests outings, our Mumbai man flirted with the ball long enough to score just 111 runs.

Shikhar Dhawan, who debuted in the same year as Rohit, managed more in just one innings against Sri Lanka. With an injured arm.

“If he gets going, we will score quickly,” says Kohli about Rohit Sharma. “Rohit can bat long when set, he just needs to be solid initially,” adds team manager  Ravi Shastri.

The big question then – How long are we to wait for him to stick around longer in the middle?

2. The Harbhajan Comeback Party

Forgive us for thinking this was a closed chapter but Harbhajan is 35, clearly over the hill. He not much inspired to play the Ranji season last year, or give a headline-worthy performance.

In fact the man had not even played a test in over two years but the selectors felt adventurous enough to call-up the 35-year-old for the one-off game against Bangladesh. Farewell tour we thought. Apparently not.

Because next came the tour of Zimbabwe. And now he’s landed in Sri Lanka.

Harbhajan’s deliveries though are nowhere close to landing where he wants.

In his comeback stint, he has to his name 3 wickets in Bangladesh. 2 in a practise game in Sri Lanka, and 1 miserable wicket at Galle.

Inspiring stuff?

3. Five Bowlers or Bust!

The idea is to take 20 wickets.
— Virat Kohli

And God help you when you step out to bat?

New skipper, new strategies – we get where Virat Kohli comes from when he makes these big decisions for his unit. Decisions like veering away from the age-old formula of four bowlers and switching to five for every game.

But maybe he’d want to scan through his squad-sheet once before? See if there are even five bowlers in the unit to take on a world class side?

Don’t mean to beat on the same drum here but this is Kohli’s fifth bowler - Harbhajan Singh’s - contribution to the Galle Test: 25 overs. 90 runs. 1 wicket.

And this was even a spin-friendly wicket, mind you. R Ashwin and comeback-man Amit Mishra collectively picked up 15 of those 20 wickets.

Common Kohli. Get your white flag out for Colombo, will you.

4. Stuart Binny

Now this one is a running theme.

Wherever Stuart Binny goes, the 5 integral Ws of journalism get directed towards the team captain.

Dhoni faced it, and now with Kohli wearing the honorary mantle and continuing to persist with the ‘all-rounder’. Here’s the same list for him.

• Who... ‘s spot will he take?
• Where... will he bat?
• What... ever made you want to call him?
• Why... is he an ‘all-rounder’?
• When... will we learn?

The Bangalore lad was called-up as the 16th man to the Indian squad even before Shikhar Dhawan’s injury was diagnosed, leaving us in fear of two Harbhajans in the squad.

Anyone say Jadeja?