Dejected Virat Kohli seeks solace in philosophy after another ICC heartbreak

Heading into Day 5 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Virat Kohli was seen as India’s big hope as they set their sights on attempting a near-improbable chase of 444 against Australia.

It was not the first time the nation had placed its hopes on the star batter. The optimism was not completely unrealistic as Kohli had batted like a dream on Day 4 at the Oval, easing his way to 44* in typical style.

Previewing the last day of the WTC 2023 final, former England captain Nasser Hussain had stated in no uncertain terms that if India had to chase down the record score, Kohli had to be the man in charge.

Hailing the Indian batter’s chasing skills, Hussain told ICC:

“If there’s one player in world cricket that you want in a run chase in any format, it is obviously Virat Kohli. In run chases in the history of the game, there is Virat Kohli, there is daylight and then there’s the rest."

And so, when Kohli went out to bat on Day 5, India’s big dream of winning an ICC trophy was still alive. Unfortunately, the dream will remain one as Team India yet again failed to turn it into reality.

The hammer blow to India’s hopes was dealt very early on Day 5 as Kohli (49) played a loose drive well away from his body off Scott Boland’s bowling and was caught at second slip by his Fab Four co-member Steve Smith.

India’s resistance gave way after Kohli’s dismissal as the batting crumbled and folded up for 234 in the first session of play itself. As the 34-year-old walked past the WTC mace after collecting his runners-up medal, his dejected face narrated the story of yet another heartbreak.

The defeat, like the other ICC losses in the past, would have been difficult to digest for sure for Kohli. And, as he has done over the past few weeks, the batter yet again took solace in philosophy, sharing a thoughtful post on his Instagram story. He put up a quote that read:

"Silence is the source of great strength" - Lao Tzu

There are two ways to look at Kohli’s predicament. One is that he is expected to deliver in crunch games for India. The other is, why is only he expected to deliver in big matches for the country?

Silence is the apt answer here.

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Virat Kohli’s performance in WTC finals

Kohli has featured in both WTC finals that India have played and has looked in good touch but has failed to convert starts into big scores.

In the clash against Australia that ended on Sunday, he was out for 14 in the first innings, gloving a delivery from Mitchell Starc that took off after pitching to the keeper. He was dismissed one short of fifty in the second innings.

Kohli was the captain when India went down to New Zealand in the 2021 WTC final. He scored 44 in the first innings but fell just when the team needed him to carry on. In the second innings, he was dismissed for 13, playing a poor stroke away from his body. India ended up losing the final by eight wickets.

On Sunday, it was a sense of déjà vu for Kohli, Team India, and fans all over again.