[am1m]

Originally Posted by joslicx

He famously did not at all talk to media for many many years!

Not talking to the media as the coach of a club that is owned privately is one thing. (It's not the right thing, but still). The BCCI using their influence to just shut down any dissenting TV or newspaper voice about a team that represents the nation is something else.

And why is that an acceptable standard of behavior anyway? Is being open to criticism incompatible with peak performance? Are the two mutually exclusive?

[Eddy]

Technically, it is a BCCI team and not an Indian team. But I agree, there needs to be more room for criticism.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Eddy

So who is our next long term skipper? Iyer, Gill, Pant, Bumrah? There are no clear answers.

Rohit is from the same generation as Kohli and is not consistent enough to merit captaincy. Bumrah - when was the last time we had a full-time, long-term bowler as captain? Kapil Dev? Although he was an all-rounder. Kumble - less than a year. Pant - needs tremendous transformation, captaining an IPL side won't be enough.

Iyer/Rahul seem like possible candidates - but they aren't first choice in the Playing 11 all the time!

All the valid critique aside, Kohli seems like the best fit for the time being. He just set such a high standard during his purple patch that the current lean patch seems worse than it is.

[Eddy]

I am fairly certain that Gill and Iyer are high on the list. Gill should be in soon for Pujara / Rahane in tests. He will have to work harder to make it to the white ball 11 as an opener.

Reverse for Iyer. Rahul could be a stop-gap arrangement, he's not 30 yet. But if the IPL is any indication, captaincy does weigh down his batting. Let's see.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by am1m

Not talking to the media as the coach of a club that is owned privately is one thing. (It's not the right thing, but still). The BCCI using their influence to just shut down any dissenting TV or newspaper voice about a team that represents the nation is something else.

And why is that an acceptable standard of behavior anyway? Is being open to criticism incompatible with peak performance? Are the two mutually exclusive?

Agree that it is not acceptable behavior.

By the way, we cannot be judging Kohli for what or how BCCI is behaving. They are two separate entities. I think he has not shut down the media or any criticism. He does answer to whatever is posed to him. He is an emotional guy and has his faults but I dont think we can say he is stifling criticism or is vindictive or anything like that.

On the other hand, what BCCI does or does not, they only should be held accountable.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Reverse for Iyer.

Just checked - Iyer hasn't even made his Test debut yet!

[am1m]

Originally Posted by joslicx

They are two separate entities.

On the other hand, what BCCI does or does not, they only should be held accountable.

The Kumble-Kohli incident and Dhoni-Bhogle incidents seem to suggest otherwise. Both show quite clearly that the board changed the decisions they themselves took earlier, which were based on professional/cricketing reasons, to accommodate their captain's personal preferences. The decision they made in the case of Kumble at least makes some sort of realpolitik sense- no point having a contentious relationship between your captain and coach. But sacking Bhogle seemed vindictive and very thin-skinned. Agreed this whole thing doesn't fall on Kohli alone, this alignment of power has been going on since Ganguly's time as captain. And probably that's where we all unconsciously began to accept that if a cricketer needs to perform, he needs to be aggressive all the time.

[Nalin1]

Some excellent points made by all!. I am enjoying this thread more than the XuV700s or Skoda Kushaqs .

What you guys have overlooked is rules are never the same for all players. The same chances that A is getting, B might never get. Remember Sachin walking in and out of the ODI team at will? When he declared himself available, there was no way he could be ignored. After he got picked, no way he could be kept out of the playing 11. Since he preferred to open, he had to be accommodated as an opener.

Why? Because he was SACHIN!.

Even the form in the nets matters, which the outside world has no idea about. A and B in contention for the same spot. A might have a far better record, But today B looked in much better shape and form in the nets and the management prefers him.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

I am enjoying this thread more than the XuV700s or Skoda Kushaqs.

Point taken, my apologies to fellow members for my part in extending this thread probably unnecessarily long to a side issue and detracting from what was truly an amazing last day test victory!

I did think we had a more than even chance to win, and and I wasn't surprised at all that we bowled them out. I think that in itself is a testament to how much we've improved as a team in the winning overseas and bowling departments. Kohli certainly had a great part to play in that, no doubt.

Originally Posted by Nalin1

Why? Because he was SACHIN!.

This I cannot let go. No one says anything negative about Tendulkar. Ever.

(kidding of course!) (no, I'm not)

[PPS]

Commendable Win on a flat track! Don't understand this debate about Man of the Match, Shardul played a crucial part with both bat & ball but it really was Rohit Sharma's innings which deflated the English bowlers. Turning point of the match had to be Rory Burns dropping Rohit Sharma! You need luck but its what you make of it that matters.

Originally Posted by Eddy

So who is our next long term skipper? Iyer, Gill, Pant, Bumrah? There are no clear answers.

Kohli is only 32, he still has a minimum of 4 more years of cricket left in him.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by PPS

Kohli is only 32, he still has a minimum of 4 more years of cricket left in him.

Quite likely that giving up captaincy will precede retirement by a few years, but only if there is someone ready to take up the job. Right now, there is no obvious candidate, unlike the MSD - Kohli transformation.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Quite likely that giving up captaincy will precede retirement by a few years, but only if there is someone ready to take up the job. Right now, there is no obvious candidate, unlike the MSD - Kohli transformation.

This is true.
Atleast in red ball there is no alternative. In white ball Rohit Sharma is there as an alternative and it can happen if we do poorly on T20 world cup. But that's it's and buts.

Also I agree with you. In the end if you have won the match means Captain was doing his job and team selection is his job as well, I would love to see Ashwin playing but more than that I want India win and so if same team plays and we win the series, nothing better than that.

[papr23]

Kohli, Pujara, Rohit, Rahane, Ashwin, Jadeja, Ishant are all aged between 32 to 34
In few years time this terrific test team is going to see wholesale changes!

[pandey.jai]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Quite likely that giving up captaincy will precede retirement by a few years, but only if there is someone ready to take up the job. Right now, there is no obvious candidate, unlike the MSD - Kohli transformation.

To be honest, I don’t see Kohli as the type who would play under one of the players he has backed in the test team.

Also as has been rightly pointed out, there is no clear successor emerging from the ranks. This to me is due to a couple of reasons -
1. We all have seen how much Kohli has backed players like Pujara and Rahane to come good. While it does do a world of good for the team morale and a general short term success (like it or not, Pujara and Rahane have contributed to some success in the recent past), it means other players haven’t been given an opportunity to fail early while these players continue to get multiple opportunities to find form. Now because of this, we don’t know if there is a younger Kohli emerging, someone who has the talent and the strength to become the leading man in the test team.

2. Poor planning on BCCI’s part. An organization should always groom future leaders. Of course the captain and the team management picks the playing XI but there has to be a way for the youngsters to tour with the team and learn from the best. The BCCI for example, picked Surya Kumar Yadav for the squad after a couple of injuries. I know there are a lot of SKY fans on the internet, but for someone who is playing his first game (assuming he gets a look in, which may not happen due to 1 above), do they really see the benefit of handing out debuts to a 31 year old, who might not even be playing in a few years time? (yes, I’m aware of a certain Mr Cricket, but then not everyone is Mr Cricket )

Credit to Kohli though - he has this uncanny knack of backing his fast bowlers. The current crop of (medium) fast bowlers came through in his captaincy.

[SoumenD]

Woah this thread is on fire

All arguments aside, its so nice to see this Indian team emerging as a strong fast-bowling side. Something we 80s/90s kids so wished for back in the day. While we had greats like Sachin, Sourav, Dravid, VVS etc our fast bowling department was never really this lethal. Back then pakistan, australia etc had lethal fast bowlers who could take apart any team. I see Indian bowling as good now. Yes people might say the opposition is not as good as Aussies of 90s-2010 but that's not our problem. Infact more often than none I see our batters failing, specially in away tests. Fast Bowlers have been pretty consistent lately.

Seeing the boys fire 145kph deliveries consistently is so satisfying