Virat Kohli is the glue that keeps the team together on and off the field, feels John Buchanan
Former Australia coach John Buchanan has stated that India will deeply miss the services of Virat Kohli and the maturity he brings to the table as a leader during the Test series against Australia. Buchanan has also added that multiple captains in a team bring some complications to the table.
Given the birth of his first child, it was imperative that Kohli would miss a part of the Test series and he rightfully decided to be with his wife in such an important phase of their lives. With Ajinkya Rahane slated to lead the side from the second Test onwards, it might have an adverse effect on the side considering Rahane, himself, is not in a great nick. Legendary Australian coach John Buchanan feels that it will be a difficult proposition for the Indian side to carry on without Kohli, who gives a great amount of balance to the side - as a player and a leader.
âIt will definitely be an advantage for Australia because Kohli was one of the dominant players in the last Test series the two teams played. Of course, Cheteshwar Pujara was the star of the series but Kohli's presence in the middle was a huge factor in India winning that series. His presence on the field and in the dressing room will be missed by India,â Buchanan told Times of India.
âThe Indian players who play in all formats of the series stay till the third week of January and that's a very long time in the bubble. With teams isolated more than before, your leaders should be able to keep the group together. That's where India will miss Kohli when he leaves after the first Test. Kohli has demonstrated in the last few years that he is a mature leader who keeps this Indian team together. Having said that, I am not for a moment suggesting that the ones who would lead in Kohli's absence can't do that.â
After Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians to their fifth IPL title, the calls for making him limited-overs captain grew louder. That came on the back of yet another unsuccessful season for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who failed to make it to the final despite qualifying for the play-offs after a gap of three seasons. However, the Aussie feels that having multiple captains for different formats of the game will add complications to the side.
âI feel two captains- even though they both are fine players - will bring some amount of complications to the group. I am someone who believes in the one captain for all formats theory provided it doesn't impact the player's personal performance.â