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With India's Olympus Fallen At Home, Can A Bruised Virat Kohli Save His Kingdom From The Aussie Monsters?

Debashis Sarangi

Virat Kohli celebrates his 36th B'day today [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]Virat Kohli celebrates his 36th B'day today [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]

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What makes a king a king? Is there something different about him? Does special, sacred blood run in his veins? No. He is chosen; he believes it, and the people believe it. He rises to the task, or he fails it. ~ John Gwynne

When an under-fire Indian team came out to bat against a spirited New Zealand side for the one final time at Wankhede, several things were at stake- the expectations of a packed Mumbai crowd that wanted its favourite team to emerge victorious in what seemed to have been an enthralling seesaw battle; the self-belief of several talismans who the Kiwis bruised and most importantly, a humiliating whitewash that seemed a genuine possibility following the debacles in Bengaluru and Pune. 

However, with the adrenaline firmly controlling their feelings and emotions, a passionate Wankhede crowd went berserk when India lost Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli made his way into the bullring. In spite of his lean patch, Kohli once again received the loudest cheer among the twenty-two participants in the game. In fact, every time a bowler ran in, the Mumbai people motivated their King to stamp his authority over the Blackcaps who had their tails up. 

But what followed next was certainly traumatising for one and a half billion. The in-form Ajaz Patel once again tampered with the scoreboard, adding one more to the wickets tally. And this time, the fish was the biggest of the lot; Kohli caught Mitchell bowled by Patel - 1 (7). 

The Indian fans were more or less aware of it in their subconscious. But regardless of how our brain works, it hurts when our worst nightmare turns into a reality. The inevitable happened. India's home pride was shattered. The mighty had fallen. 

And talking about Kohli, the series against New Zealand was forgettable for him. Ninety-three runs at an average of just over 15; neither the King nor his people saw this coming. His facial expressions after the Mumbai horror explained the distress and mental fatigue he had gone through by witnessing India's invincibility, which he was an integral part of, getting done and dusted. 

But as a wise man said, "Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: A Last Dance May Be?

With the glory days gone and their World Test Championship dream at stake, India will face the toughest of the rivals, Australia, in their backyard. As an avid follower of Australian cricket, let me tell you, anything the Aussies take seriously apart from The Ashes is a home Test series defeat and India, having drubbed them on two consecutive occasions, will certainly be on the firing line. 

From the players to the press, the people from Down Under will leave no stone unturned to snatch the most precious feather on India's crown, something they haven't lost since 2017, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In such a scenario, it will be Virat Kohli, whom India will once again look up to. 

1352 runs in 25 innings at an average of 54.08, even more staggering than the God of Cricket; Kohli has been the backbone of Indian Test batting on Australian soil. The chubby-faced kid who once took a giant leap in Adelaide has now become a 118-Tests veteran, a dream stuff for many. 

Although the analyst in me identifies his slowing reflexes and technical flaws, a fan who has doffed his hat a thousand times in admiration is still hopeful of a turnaround. Who better than Kohli knows how to convert backlashes into applause? In fact, even after sixteen years of his debut, it's only him who can turn a ray of hope into pleasant sunshine. 

Thus, as India aim to restore their Test legacy, Virat Kohli has to step up and let his bat do the talking. It's the people's faith that made him the King. And it's time for the King to rise and save his Kingdom from the Aussie monsters.