‘India took it for granted’: Former cricketer reveals how Virat Kohli could have changed Colombo result

India’s Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill (PTI Photo) Mohammad Kaif believes India missed the intensity and urgency needed to force a result in the Colombo Test, suggesting Virat Kohli’s presence could have made the difference on a frustrating final day.India were in a strong position to complete the series 2-0 but could not finish the job after Sri Lanka went on to take six wickets on the final day. The visitors managed just two more dismissals while Sonal Dinusha produced an unbeaten century to help the hosts secure a draw.As a result, India won the series 1-0 and made their journey to the World Cup final much more difficult. India remain fifth in the WTC standings, with Sri Lanka sixth, and now have little room for error with seven Tests remaining.India need to win at least six of these seven matches to keep their qualification hopes in check, with Australia among the remaining opponents.

Kaif questions India’s intensity

Kaif felt that Colombo’s failure was partly due to India not being able to sustain the energy needed during a long Test match.The former India batsman pointed to Kohli’s leadership style, particularly the way the former captain constantly communicated with his teammates and maintained a high intensity even during extended periods in the field.“Playing Tests is not everyone’s cup of tea, boss. It’s a very long game and you have to keep bowling. I felt if someone like Virat Kohli was playing this match, he would keep shouting and keep his team on,” Kaif said.According to Kaif, India seemed to believe that Sri Lanka’s resistance would eventually collapse due to the help available to the spinners, rather than actively applying pressure to force wickets.“Sometimes I felt we were taking things for granted, I thought, ‘Just keep bowling, it will happen. The ball is spinning so much that it will happen by itself,'” Kaif said.

“The result would have been different”

Sri Lanka’s lower order and the resistance of Dinus ultimately failed India, with the batter remaining unbeaten on 133 and playing a key role in saving the Test.Kaif argued that India needed to create pressure rather than wait for opportunities to come. He also felt that the team lacked the energy that Kohli traditionally brought to the field.“We created very few things ourselves. Our energy levels were also very low. That’s why I say if Virat Kohli had played this Test, the result would have been different,” Kaif said.He suggested that Kohli would constantly push his teammates to stay aggressive and directly challenge Dinus during his marathon resistance.“The reason is that he would say to everyone, ‘Come on, Sarfarazi, come on, Jaiswal’ and he would also go after Sonal. Who did we get into confrontations with? We got into confrontations with Kumara,” Kaif added.The draw means India now face a challenging phase of their WTC campaign, where further missed opportunities could significantly damage their chances of finishing in the top two.