New Delhi: Star batsman Virat Kohli expressed frustration while talking about the struggle against Fidel Edwards during his debut Test against West Indies in 2011. It was not the kind of start that an ambitious young man wants. There was a bit of anxiety and confusion then. The nearly 20-minute conversation at a restaurant in Kingston concluded like this, 'But I will not quit'. He did not stop fighting the challenge and between 2014 and 2019 touched such heights that many cricketers of the modern era have not been able to climb. Kohli scored a flurry of runs and centuries and the cricket world expressed surprise at this change in him which led India to some great heights and memorable victories in Test cricket. His performance is a 'blueprint' for the young batsmen who have been entrusted with the task of taking over the reins of Indian cricket after Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Some of these have been discussed below.
Shubman Gill
Among the next generation stars, Shubman Gill is the most important player who could possibly be India's main batsman and Test captain in the coming days. Perhaps it is a coincidence that Gill also finds himself in the same position as Kohli when he was 25 years old in which his Test record was average. The Punjab player has scored 1893 runs in 32 Tests at an average of 35. But Gill's record in England is average which includes 88 runs in three Tests at an average of 14.66. Now it remains to be seen whether the Punjab player can match his illustrious senior in changing his fortunes in England. Like Kohli, Gill will also have to bring discipline in his batting and make a habit of batting close to the body for swing.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Jaiswal is certain to open the innings in England. He has already done this job in West Indies, South Africa, Australia and India. But this task will be difficult on his first tour of England. Jaiswal showed his technique and restraint while scoring runs in Australia and West Indies. But he will face a tough challenge in 'late swing' in England and for this he will have to control his fast drives and cuts. More attention will have to be paid to leaving the ball and looking for the right opportunity to attack. This is not a technical change, but a mental change and he can learn from Kohli's 'playbook'. After struggling in 2014, Kohli learned to deal with the 'late swing' of Anderson and Broad in 2018 and he scored 593 runs in five matches at an average of 59.
Dhruv Jurel
The 24-year-old Jurel is a good back-up option behind Rishabh Pant as the second wicketkeeper batsman. He performed impressively in the debut series against England but he could not make an impact against Australia. Jurel has the courage and skill to play for a long time in Test cricket. He showed his prowess by scoring two fifties in an unofficial Test against Australia before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year. Head coach Gautam Gambhir likes cricketers who never back down from a fight in the field and he is that kind of cricketer.
B Sai Sudarshan
He is likely to make it to the squad touring England and his excellent batting can come in handy in England as he can be a calm and composed batsman against the aggressive batting of Jaiswal. The 23-year-old Sudarshan likes to play both sides and this is something that is important to succeed in England. He also has experience of playing for Surrey in county cricket.
Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz, 27, showed that he can destroy any attack by scoring an aggressive 150 against New Zealand in Bengaluru last year. But since then mediocre form and a rib injury have hindered him. There is no doubt about Sarfaraz's prowess but the Mumbai player can be asked to work on his fitness as well. He can learn something from Kohli's passion for fitness. But now there is no Kohli or Rohit Sharma to guide and encourage him, so he will have to move forward by playing responsibly on his own. Language Namita Mona.
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