Kohli-Kumble-Shastri: The saga of a leader, a legend and a coach

After sweating day in and day out for the accomplishment of a common dream, it often happens that a moment arrives when suddenly your services are termed redundant. Having poured all of one’s efforts and sacrificed hours of peace for the common goal, you are in a situation when the people around you start regarding you as a claustrophobic presence- someone who is claimed to disrupt the harmonious working of the other individuals in question.

Sans support and with little regard for his honest struggles, he is left alienated in a world which would rather continue without him.

Unwanted. Unfair. Unjust.

As the Indian Cricket Team played out a tale that can be traced down to any corporate sector, Anil Kumble emerged as the silent figure who had been elbowed out despite combining with Virat Kohli to produce emphatic results for the team in the last one year.

The bespectacled spin wizard who had spun out batsmen in his heydays was suddenly an icon the team respected but hardly needed. Citing differences in the style of working, Kumble bowed out rather unceremoniously from a set-up led by Virat Kohli, who was uncomfortable with the former player’s head-masterly reforms and strict discipline.

With Kohli uninhibitedly asking for Ravi Shastri as the next head coach of the team, the images of the Bangalorean rejoicing after scalping Brian Lara’s wicket with a heavily bandaged jaw remained more prominent than ever.

It remained an image that was enough to fill one with remorse and pathos as we witnessed Kumble, an individual who would not think twice before rushing forward for the team; walk away into the horizon a second time.

The pressure of scrutiny

Kohli, who had enjoyed a memorable duration with Shastri after MS Dhoni stepped down as the Test Captain in 2014, conveyed his wish to have the commentator on board even before he left for the Champions Trophy in England. Buoyed by Shastri’s pep-talks and his easy going demeanour, Kohli preferred an individual who would stay on as an elder brother and not an authoritarian.

Kumble’s rigidity in conducting a fitness test for every player returning from injury layoff did not go down too well with the group of players. Moreover, Kumble’s constant backing of Kuldeep Yadav against Kohli’s consent in the third Test against Australia seemed the final nail in the coffin for two cricketers who had exemplified excellence on the field.

No, the blame is not solely resting on Kohli for the ouster. Yes, his dislike for the former’s ways is responsible for it. It is very natural to have a fall-out with a highly respected player in a job that entails high scrutiny by peering eyes of the media.

Kohli remains a brash and an aggressive player and it is no denying that he would like to function without constant interference and intrusion. Maybe Kumble, who had his own ideals to follow and live up to, held a stern mirror towards every small flaw committed by his troupe of cricketers, something that remained disliked. In quest for perfection, ideologies clashed and the path towards achieving that pinnacle remained different.

And so, it was Shastri who was appointed the head coach by the Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising former legends Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.

In a bid to thwart any further mud-slinging between the captain and the coach, the CAC budged towards Kohli’s demands even though a thoroughly experienced Tom Moody and talismanic Lalchand Rajput had thrown their hats into the ring.

Was it the right decision? Does that put Kohli in sole command over the Indian team, where every whim and fancy of his will be fulfilled? What if he develops certain bias towards a particular player? Will Kohli be guilty of giving him an extended rope, ignoring the other talents?

The signs do not seem to please many.

Yes, the captain remains the sole in charge of his National Cricket Team, taking either brave or defensive decisions on the field. He is the one who has to manage the group of eleven individuals and inspire them to bring out their best when the opposition is running away with the game on a sultry Day 3 of a Test match.

As the coach remains confined in the dressing room, captain is the pro-active person on whose shoulders rests the burden of choices. He then, is the sole in-charge. The commander-in-chief.

With power comes equal responsibility

Given the task of finding India’s next coach, the CAC also conferred Zaheer Khan as the bowling coach of India and Rahul Dravid as the overseas batting consultant of the team. Did the Advisory Committee have such little faith on Shastri’s credentials that they anointed two former players in more specific roles?

It clearly gives an impression that the 55-year old was included due to Kohli’s desires but the lack of faith reposed in him by Ganguly, Tendulkar and Laxman does not escape one’s notice.

To prevent further confusion in the next two years, in which India tour Sri Lanka, South Africa, England and Australia in the lead up to the 2019 World Cup, Shastri was given the lucrative contract, as Kohli had wanted. This puts immense responsibility on the 28-year old and gives him no further reason to botch up.

He has been given what he has yearned for. The Delhiite has had his wishes fulfilled by the CAC who did not want a murkier incident in the future. Due to Kohli’s growing status, the onus lies on the man himself to live up to the expectations.

The authority have succumbed to his demands, albeit slightly, and if he is unable to pull off a coup, fingers will be raised at his superstar ego- wherein he has been given what he requested but is unable to string in memorable triumphs. If it so happens, the era of Kumble shall be reminisced again and again.

A clash of superstardom

With Kohli leading a bunch of cricketers who have carved their own image in the public arena, the inclusion of Dravid and Zaheer might yet again lead to a clash between the old textbook style of play and the current T20 method of attack.

There remains no guarantee that the former stalwarts will definitely fit in with their differed perspective and vast pool of knowledge. If it so happens, will they be shown the door as well? Will Kohli continue walking his own path and snubbing respected players for long and ever?

With Shastri stating his choice of Bharat Arun as the bowling coach, Zaheer’s position remains a vulnerable one indeed. With Shastri backing Arun and Kohli backing Shastri, what value will Zaheer’s views hold in matters of a clash?

The same can be applied in Dravid’s scenario as well. With Sanjay Bangar continuing his covenant as the batting coach, Dravid’s sudden inclusion in the Indian team on a tour might cause confusion in the mind of a cricketer. Should he abide by Bangar’s continued expertise or mould himself according to the more established Dravid’s routine?

Also, a certain sect of players might favour what a certain coach ordains, while another might completely ignore the same. To prevent a definite case of ‘too many cooks spoiling the broth’, it is now the sole onus of Captain Kohli along with Coach Shastri to iron out all faults and eradicate all confusion to prevent yet another incident as the one that panned out when the Legend Kumble was at the helm.