Hail a dazzling genius-brat who hates losing and thinks manners are for sissies. He’d rather be crude and competitive than courteous and an also-ran, the old Indian good-loser.
Ramachandra Guha, India’s only serious historian of cricket, wrote recently that Virat Kohli could be India’s greatest-ever batsman, greater even than the divine trinity of Indian batting – Gavaskar the creator, Dravid the preserver, and Tendulkar the destroyer.
Guha’s praise for Kohli should have few critics: cricket fans know truth when they see it. They also know that Kohli is already the toughest, most cussed captain to lead India, a man his opponents fear, even as they bridle at his behaviour on the field. One had only to look at him in the Johannesburg Test to know that he can be an obnoxious man.
After the fall of the fifth wicket, he cupped his ear in a derisive acknowledgment of the stunned silence, then gestured to the South African spectators—until then raucous and partisan—to zip it. The game won, he bowed extravagantly to the stands, not as a signal of chivalry or courtesy, but as mocking proof of his triumph.
For all his extravagant gifts, there’s a tastelessness to Kohli that reflects modern India: The post-Nehruvian disregard for social niceties—manifest in everything from the way Indians drive, talk to each other, board airplanes, or treat waiters at restaurants. Kohli chirps—to use the modern euphemism for on-field abuse—and scowls; he glares and remonstrates, getting in umpires’ faces. But unlike much of modern, badly behaved India, Kohl is also world-class at what he does, able to compete with anyone under all conditions.
Consider the wicket at the Wanderers, as spiteful as any demon you could care to name from our demon-ridden scriptures. It was a Putana of a pitch, with poison in its breast. South Africa had gone 2-0 up in a three-Test series and craved a clean sweep to repay India for the thrashing meted out on their last tour of the subcontinent. This was intended to be a vengeful, whitewash-wicket, no matter the protestations of innocence made by the South African management.
Previous Indian teams and captains would have quaked at the sight of the Wanderers strip, and then gone into a fatalist shell for the rest of the match. In other words, they’d have conceded the game before a single ball had been bowled. Not Kohli. He saw the pitch, he saw the grass, he saw the burgeoning cracks, and he chose to bat first—in effect, to go over the top with his troops and run straight into the enemy’s fire.
The bravery—and cockiness—of that decision soon became apparent. India scored 187 in the first innings, but no commentator said they got “only” 187. Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s Sphinx-like number three, told the press after Day One that the total was worth 300 when measured by cricket’s equivalent of purchasing power parity. As if to confirm his assessment, South Africa barely overtook India in its first innings.
By this time, late into Day Two, it had come to be acknowledged by anyone watching that this was a bad pitch. Yet how bad? India had doctored its tracks when South Africa toured, but spin-friendly wickets pose dangers only to egos and batting averages, not to life and limb. Conditions cooked to suit the fast men, on the other hand, can be physically perilous. Remember dear old Bishan Singh Bedi declaring India’s first innings closed at 306/6 at Sabina Park in 1976 to spare his bowlers (himself included) from injury? Kohli would rather kill himself than resort to such self-protection.
India’s second innings was a study in courage, the batsmen battling through everything South Africa could hurl at them. No one complained, least of all Kohli, when batsmen were hit on the chest, the arm, the shoulder, the thighs, and, repeatedly, the gloves. Imagine the consternation, then, when the umpires took the teams off the field when South Africa batted a second time. Dean Elgar, the opener, was hit on the head by a short ball from Jasprit Bumrah, and the umpires—who’d dithered for nearly three days and not ruled the conditions unsafe—suddenly found the pitch too unreliable for further play. Play was called off and Kohli was incensed. His face said it all: “How dare you deem the very conditions that my men had to endure to be too dangerous for my opponents?”
As the match officials, managers and captains all conferred, rumours swirled that the match would be called off. The rules dictated that play would continue if both captains agreed, so long as the umpires did not deem the conditions to be manifestly unsafe. Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s captain, agreed to play on. This did not surprise me: The wicket, after all, was the one they’d ordered up for themselves. Not to play on it would be like disowning a child. In any case, the South Africans aren’t among the cricket world’s whiners. Even in India, when ambushed on tracks that turned square and spat like an old witch, they hadn’t complained about conditions. They went out and played, promising themselves that India would be repaid in kind on this return tour.
But there was a darker pressure at work in Johannesburg. South Africa would not have wanted to risk jeopardising India’s tour by refusing to play on. India would almost certainly have pulled out of the rest of the tour—comprising six lucrative One-Day Internationals and three cash-rich T20s—had the Test been called off. And du Plessis would have found himself entirely unwelcome as a player at the IPL. Money talks loudly, even when it whispers.
But Indian money shouts. Cricket is the one sphere in which India commands global dominance, and the swift resolution of the Johannesburg pitch crisis is a reflection of the power India wields.
Contrast India’s pathetic inability to do anything about the dangerous pitch in Jamaica in 1976 with the ease with which it got its way in South Africa in 2018. An impoverished India, closed to the markets, its players barely able to compete abroad, its team boasting not a single pace bowler in its ranks, was bullied in the West Indies and regarded as pushovers. Today, no one messes with the Indian cricket authorities without risking punitive consequences.
Alyssa Ayres, an American political scientist, has written in a recent book that “the new cricket world order also tells us something about the attitude a wealthier and more powerful India might bring to its international [political] approach in the future.”
There’s no denying that Indian cricket has an unlovely face. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the coarse enforcer of the international game. The wider world may still speak disparagingly of Ugly Americans, but in the cricket sphere, there is open and rueful talk of Ugly Indians.
Virat Kohli is an Ugly Indian. For the moment, at least, he’s also a victorious one, a dazzling genius-brat who hates losing and thinks manners are for sissies. He’d rather be crude and competitive than courteous and an also-ran. Who are we to say that his way is wrong? Jai Hind.
Tunku Varadarajan is the Virginia Hobbs Carpenter Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
Quite interesting.
The author articulates well what has been on my mind for some time now.
As a comment (to this piece) from Ajay Singh puts it “urban Indians are wrong in the way they drive, talk to each other, board airplanes, or treat waiters at restaurants.” I think its a deeper malady that afflicts us as a people. In-your-face attitudes such as that of Kohli mirror a facet (and not quite the face, I hope) of a changing urban mentality. I don’t think it’s necessary to imply expletive and / or wear aggression on the sleeve to get the job done. If anything, that would be distracting from one’s oeuvre. Unfortunately, most people are products of their surroundings and given to taking on identities that serve as strong suits. You know, a kind of ‘Whatever works’ philosophy. What Kaustub mentions as a ‘Gora sahib’ and ‘subservient’ mindset is anything but. We in Bharat Varsha have had a great tradition of respect even among sworn enemies. There was always civility in debate (the famous ‘Dwand’ between learned men) and respect on the battlefield.
One has often heard that in the traditions of old, it was standard practice for opposing warriors to greet each other with due respect before taking to arms even when both knew it would be a fight unto death. In any case, two wrongs do not make a right. No harm in a little ribbing I reckon but going down to the level of foul-mouthed foreigners is hardly the thing one would expect from a man in the position of Virat Kohli. For when one is anointed commander of the forces, it doesn’t behove one to cuss like a street fighter. Remember how George S Patton had to tender a public apology to the soldier he had verbally abused?
Why should this discussion even come up? It reflects our ‘Gora sahib’ complex. We accept Ricky Ponting’s uncouth (actually an insult to the word ‘uncouth’) behaviour as competitiveness. Mcgrath’s sledging as mental disintegration. But we curse Ganguly’s celebration at lord’s as disgusting. Spinning tracks are doctored, but seaming & bouncy tracks are ‘sporting’. Did we call the English & Australian cricket boards ‘unlovely’ in the last century, when they ruled the roost? Greg Chapell hardly ever toured anywhere else, but England & we still accepted his jibes that Indian cricketers had no hopes overseas. Sadly, this reflects our subservient mindset.
Thank God, the new batch of India prospects are being mentored by Dravid, the best individual India can proudly present before the cricketing world for many reasons. Remember why he was selected to give an oration on Bradman Remembrance day in Australia ahead of the whole batch of indian formers. The only drawback he holds is that he was not born in Mumbai or Delhi because of which he is not being glorified as some others. By the way, recently Dravid had made a comment on Kohli too.
A brilliantly written piece. I think the comments here give a good picture of modern India!! Can’t imagine the India with the financial and political clout dictating terms in international arena….
The brand of cricket being played these days are churning out instant stars with accompanying financial windfall. However, quality Test players are a fast disappearing breed and have been replaced by ‘stars’ who may or may not fire on a given day. Champions who are the byproduct of friendly pitches with even bounce and fast outfields in home conditions, attain instant misplaced halo around them. Performing in distant lands in alien conditions expose chinks in their technique. The same logic applies to foreign players. Many of the stars in the South African team have been found wanting in technique and temperament too.
Three players from the current lot of cricketers have excelled in batting on a treacherous Wanderers pitch through sheer grit and adapting their playing styles. Hashim Amla,Virat Kohli and Ajinkye Rahane
have shown that ‘greatness’cannot be thrust on anyone, rather it has to be cultivated through a disciplined approach.
It’s time we re-evaluated our current cricketing greats and rated them on their abilities to perform under all circumstances.
That is the hallmark of greatness.
We lost the series. If at all, the writer himself smacks of the “nehruvian also ran model” while he writes this gibberish. I’d like to point out that the new muscular resurgent India that this author is celebrating through the eyes of an ill behaved captain, should believe in the concept of WINNING. Winning with the right attitude and means. Would the author coach his own kids on these lines is what I wonder? Would he tell his kids it’s ok to be uncouth and foolhardy as long as you keep your aggression high( winning doesn’t matter). How are these pathetic writers even allowed such space? Sports define our lives. They create role models. For millions. We love Sachin because he let his bat do the talking when he needed to. At all other times he knew like the greats behind him about why decorum in a game was important. Because it’s a game!!!!!
http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/father-dead-he-bats-to-save-delhi/18988/0
What’s the most difficult thing you did in your career that showed the commitment to the cause… And what’s the cause … Varadarajan …?
Kohli has achieved too much in too little a time compared to others . He is maturing and will be one like many in near future . Let us leave him alone and not cut him to any size . Despite all his accolades he still is to be blamed for many losses in past which he and only he could have turned into ?Victory?by some sensible batting . One prominent to mention is his IPL -10 final defeat to Hyderabad Sunrisers. He manages to get quick runs but technique is suspect as also opined by Champion Mr Gavaskar , which lets India down at critical junctures .
Typical Kohli glorification..just like the BCCI paid Indian commentators do, they don’t have he guts to point out his mistakes. Whatever he does, no matter how disgusting, is praised by these people. Kohli is the worst behaved cricketer is the world and most hated too, he is too overrated..his performances on difficult wickets have been pretty average but still glorified
What is wrong with this publication/website, looks like they are willing to write all kinds of non sense just to sell or get clicks on their website. I don’t think there is any difference between these guys and other online scams except these people do it under the pretense of marketing and masquerade themselves as journalists.
I have been ignoring this publication and their headlines for a while but attacking a cricketer for doing his job is another low point for this duplicitous news site.
I doubt if these writers understand what it takes to succeed at the international level both mentally and physically, sitting around all day on their butts.
Either they think they (or their organization) are the epitome of self righteousness or pretend to be one either way it shows ugliness that they in their mind.
To other readers here, please ignore this news site & stop coming here.
In today’s world of social media we can get the information right from the horses mouth and there are many other neutral observers out there who share their honest views.
You do not have waste your time (like i just did by commenting here) reading crappy articles like this.
This is my last time visiting this website. I feel its an insult to our intellect if we engage with writers and news sites like this.
Virat Kohli is an ugly Indian who lost a series 1-2 in South Africa. If you think losing a series 2-1 is being a victorious Indian, then there is nothing to say about being delusional. As to who are we to complain? We are unfortunately from the same country where this young man has been made captain and lies and abuses and does sundry other embarrassing things. But do figure out how losing 1-2 winds up equating with being victorious.
You guys don’t have a clue ugly is! Kohli is not trying to cheat or something. Trying to assert what is your right is not ugly. I have seen many Aussie players indulging in downright nasty tactics. Slater picking up bumped catch, then arguing with umpires and Dravid after the verdict based on TV review, Steven Smith attempting to take help from dressing room over his review call, McGrath talking about sexual orientation of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lara, now these were downright nasty. Kohli doesn’t have to be so nice because the western press thinks he needs to respect people with white skin even when they are on the right side. That era of pleasing white people even when they are on the wrong side is gone. I suggest get over it and do grow up!
I completely agree with you. He plays cricket with extreme aggression but yet in the right sporting spirit without cheating and facing oppositions and situations head-on. May be the world is used to more sober and gentleman cricketers from India and hence the reactions to this brand of Indian cricket
Maybe it is the vantage point of my distance from India, but there is no doubt in my mind that this crude man Kohli is wrong—for the same reason that average urban Indians are wrong in the way they “drive, talk to each other, board airplanes, or treat waiters at restaurants.”
Well said.
I was likewise spurred into writing about Virat Kohli during #IPL 2016: https://www.jodi365.com/singledout/virat-kohli-man-of-the-hour-hero-worship (It was primarily about his deification, but also touched upon on his edgy persona.)
I hope the brashness increasingly on display is but a cultural pendulum swing, rather than emblematic of Emerging India.