What happens when Virat Kohli fails? As the 2nd ODI proved, India still don’t have a clue

When does dependence become over-dependence? Agreed, Virat Kohli is the modern-day “Chase-master”. His career batting average in chases in the One-Day International format is a staggering 61. Fifteen of his 25 centuries have come while chasing. With him in the squad, why would any captain even bother to bat first, if given the choice?

But, strange things can and do happen in cricket. Like it happened at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi on Thursday in India’s second One-Day International against New Zealand. India’s chase looked deceptively simple. Only 243. Kohli had even hit a boundary after arriving at the crease. But, a nothing delivery, an absolutely nothing delivery, from Mitchell Spinner, had Kohli flicking away in front of leg-stump. Ninety-nine times out of 100, Kohli would have got the middle of the bat on it. He could have even missed it and it would have been called a wide.

Today though was not one of those days. A thin edge and he was walking back. An unfortunate way to get dismissed, but a dismissal, nonetheless.

When even the easiest of chases becomes tough

One reason why Kohli can haul a chase so well is the composure he brings to a tense situation. He exudes confidence, calm and cocksureness, in equal measure. He runs confidently, strokes the ball to all corners of the ground and ensures that his team never feels under the cosh. And, of course, he combines all that with his magical batting.

But when Kohli fails, and yes, though that hardly ever happens in a chase, things can get very different.

For starters, there is the lull that falls over the stadium. Delhi was quiet. Very quiet after Kohli walked off. New Zealand just knew they had a chance. Even when Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav were stringing together a few boundaries, there was tension in the air. You could feel it in your bones. This was not going to be an easy chase. There was going to be trouble somewhere down the line.

They only woke up again when Hardik Pandya, with a little help from Umesh Yadav, took India to the brink. Sadly enough, Pandya who batted with composure and élan till the very end, lost the plot. With 11 runs required and eight balls left, he went for the glory shot, only to bunt it away for a straightforward catch in the deep. Tim Southee cleaned up Jasprit Bumrah and the match was done. New Zealand had won by six runs, perhaps by a margin closer than they would have liked.

Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson must have felt that he had the match in the bag in the 40th over itself when captain Dhoni was splendidly caught off his own bowling by Tim Southee. The fact that Pandya took it close and was one good shot away from winning is testament to his talent but cannot mask the very real problem India are facing.

The finishing woes

And the question pops up again. Today, Kohli was out in an unfortunate matter. To be realistic, there is a chance, there always is, that he could get injured. It happens in cricket and it has been happening with the Indian team lately. Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Gautam Gambhir sustained injuries in the Tests. Even Rohit Sharma seemed to pull a bicep while edging behind in Delhi. Injuries can happen, anytime, even to someone as fit as Virat Kohli.

And then, what? Will Ajinkya Rahane, still looking uneasy in coloured clothing, continue to play the uppish pull to a short delivery, knowing very well that a fielder has been placed there in expectation of exactly that shot? Will Manish Pandey, in trying to keep up with his older but still nimble captain, run himself out again? And will Kedar Jadhav continue to play one cute dab too many and edge behind, at a critical juncture in the chase?

And no, this time it is not Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s fault. He has been quite categorical that his days as India’s finest finisher are behind him. The task now is to find someone who can fit into his shoes and carry off that onerous task, and it is for that very purpose that Dhoni has decided to push himself up the batting order lately. Even on Thursday, he played more of a sheet anchor role, trying to keep the innings stable, leaving the others to chance their arms.

But, despite some glimpses of promise from Hardik Pandya, India still seem a long way away from finding any answers. And till that conundrum remains, it will be on Virat Kohli’s supremely fit shoulders that the burden of a chase continues to remain. It is something he enjoys, he loves. But if India love him back, they cannot let him carry that burden all alone.