India’s World Test Championship hopes took a hit after the Colombo draw, leaving their path to the final far more complicated. India remained fifth in the WTC standings after missing out on a 2-0 series win, with Sri Lanka sitting sixth. The result has left India with little margin for error in their push to finish in the top two. With seven Tests still remaining in their WTC campaign, India will need to win at least six of them to keep control of their qualification hopes. The challenge will be even greater with Australia among their remaining opponents, making the dropped opportunity in Colombo all the more costly.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif felt India could have used a more vocal presence on the field during the final day in Colombo, drawing a comparison with Virat Kohli’s fearless leadership style. During his captaincy, Kohli was known for keeping the intensity high, constantly communicating with his players and refusing to let the team lose focus in long Test spells.
“Playing Tests isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, boss. It’s a very long game and you have to keep bowling continuously. I felt that if someone like Virat Kohli had been playing this match, he would have been constantly shouting and keeping his team switched on,” Kaif said.
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He felt India’s approach lacked the urgency required to finish off the game, suggesting the bowlers became too comfortable as Sri Lanka’s resistance grew.
“At times, I felt we took things for granted, thinking, ‘Just keep bowling, it will happen. The ball is turning so much, it will happen on its own,” Kaif said.
“If Virat Kohli had been playing result would have been different”
Kaif continued to question India’s intensity in Colombo, saying they did little to create pressure on their own and appeared short of energy as Sri Lanka fought to save the Test. He again brought up Kohli’s presence, believing the former captain’s aggressive approach and ability to lift those around him could have changed the outcome.
“We created very few things ourselves. Our energy levels were also very low. That is why I am saying, if Virat Kohli had been playing this Test, the result would have been different,” Kaif said.
“The reason is that he would have been telling everyone, ‘Come on, Sarfaraz, come on, Jaiswal’ and he would have gone after Sonal as well. Who were we getting into confrontations with? We were getting into confrontations with Kumara,” Kaif added.
