Between the Sydney Test in early January till the end of the World Cup, the Indian board will get a clearer view of how the team responds to this dual leadership role across formats.
Of one thing, though, there is no doubt: Kohli's time has come. From the limited evidence on view, Kohli's leadership skills have been a marked departure from Dhoni's. He leads like he bats, with his heart on his sleeve, the choicest sledges on his lips and a fierce, almost overpowering desire to stamp his presence.
In the days leading up to the Adelaide Test, Kohli seemed aware that Dhoni's captaincy had gone stale, and repeatedly stressed the need for an injection of positive energy. "We will go for a win even if we lose trying because we have been losing so often," was the constant refrain.
With Dhoni out due to a thumb injury, Kohli's captaincy in Adelaide was largely lauded, even though India underwent some long moments on the field during which the Delhi batsman seemed to be feeling his way. The decision to play Karn Sharma instead of Ashwin backfired, but Kohli had the gumption to admit that he was dead wrong, that someone had told him drop-in pitches don't change course over five days. In interactions, he has been candid, intelligent and witty, displaying a keen game sense.
The questions, of course, linger: Can Kohli, prone to hot-headedness, keep his emotions in check during crucial moments? Can he back teammates even if they are wrong? Can he take responsibility for his actions? His comments on not respecting opponents like Mitchell Johnson seemed in bad taste, and on Tuesday he screamed at Ajinkya Rahane while batting after Australia had botched a run-out attempt, even though the fault had been his own.
These are, of course, little niggles on the long road to maturity for the cocky Kohli, who has been earmarked for the leadership role precisely because captaincy lifts his game. In this series, Kohli the batsman has seemed head and shoulders above his teammates, and the twin centuries on captaincy debut were proof of a rare ability to shine in the spotlight. Kohli craves a contest and finds the heat of battle uplifting. If he can continue to lead by example, he will have done what Dhoni could not.
It is expected the crass comments and brash behavior will be tempered by age and time. And, as Adelaide showed, he must know when to change tack to save a game. As Brad Haddin told Kohli while sledging him on the field, "It's all about you."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Virat Kohli,MS Dhoni,Mitchell Johnson,Brad Haddin,Ajinkya Rahane
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