Friday 26 / April / 2024
There was a certain palpable naivety about Saurav Ganguly when he addressed the media last Monday after the process to appoint the coach of the Indian cricket team had been completed, minus the announcement of the name, and sought to “give credit to Virat” for keeping away from the whole process. Ganguly nailed down his story with a thundering declaration that Virat Kohli had “completely stayed out of it”, and the ring of innocence in his voice was loud. Innocence, that of a lion caged in a zoo, though.
After rejecting attempts made by the famed members of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAS) composed of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and VVS Laxman to sort out the coach-captain controversy, Kohli made no secret of his choice for the coach of the Indian team, leaving the uncomplicated matter of picking that man, Ravi Shastri, to Ganguly and Co. If there’s anything unambiguous about Indian cricket at the moment, it’s Kohli’s hand in the selection of coach. We could of course sympathise with the three legends on their moment of helplessness, but without the need of Ganguly’s fantasies about reality.
That, in some way, might explain why Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid were drafted in as bowling and batting consultants. Simply put, it looked like an attempt at trying to put their foot down on the part of the CAC. Khan has indisputable credentials as a fast bowler and Dravid who was dubbed as The Wall during his playing days now enjoys respect as a coach as well. The choice, purely on the basis of skills, is unquestionable, but whether that was the best step to ensure a smooth way forward for team India is debatable.
The delay in the announcement of the coach’s name does not seem to be related to any indecision on the part of the CAC or any decision taken by the three that was contrary to the expectations. Given the way Ganguly and Shastri got into a war of words a year ago over the selection process, it was difficult to believe Ganguly endorsed Shastri with a big smile, but he found himself helpless to prevent the inevitable. The only way to get back at Shastri was to take away the comforts he loved and sought, such as Bharat Arun as the bowling coach.
The chemistry between Kohli and Shastri was obvious and allowing the coach the freedom to select the support staff he wanted should have been the best step to take Team India forward. Viewed from this angle, the CAC has only been putting in place roadblocks, even if the intentions were good. Ganguly said the CAC wanted to make sure there was no difference of opinion six months down the line, but they have created difference, consciously or otherwise, right from day one.
Talking about difference of opinion, it will be interesting to take a look at how the chemistry between the three legends works. It is common knowledge that Tendulkar’s choice last year was Shastri, but he might not have been able to get his point accepted by the other two, especially by Ganguly. Circumstances favoured Tendulkar to get his man on the job this time around, but he may have given his nod to the ridrers — Zaheer Khan and Dravid — Ganguly may have sought to put in place.
With Ganguly and Tendulkar having got their choice on the job, it could be Laxman’s turn the next time around. Tom Moody and Kumble were the final two on the CAC list after the interviews last year, and reports suggested that Kohli had made his pick when he was asked to. Moody was among the top three contenders this time as well. If he is still interested in the job, and if it’s really Laxman’s turn the next time, we may have the name of the next coach of the Indian team in case the BCCI looks for a change—either to serve its interests camouflaged in a captain-coach rift or to fill a genuine hole left by any unexpected developments.
What is clear at the moment is the task on hand for Shastri, which is tougher than what Kumble had to deal with during his brief stint when team India was playing at home on pitches and conditions that were familiar and friendly. India will have three tough overseas tours between now and 2019 — to South Africa in November 2017, to England in June 2018 and to Australia in November 2018 — and that’s going to be a real test for the team and the coach.
Two possibilities could make Shastri and Kohli stronger than ever. The tour of South Africa is the first on the list, and there is a reasonable chance for India to do well against the hosts, given the fact that the Proteas are not as strong as they used to be. The real challenge will be England and Australia. If Kohli’s leadership and Shastri’s pep talk would help the team post a series win against one of them and a good showing against the other, the duo would call the shot for quite some time to come. Even in the event of poor performances against all the three, a return home from England with the World Cup in 2019 could keep the mouths of their detractor shut.
To set in motion possibilities and permutations of all sorts, Kohli and Shastri need to keep alive the spark— in them and between them. Circumstances favour and force them into building a stronger bond.
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The writer is a freelance contributor based in India. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman
