"Virat said no draw, we are going to chase it down" - Karn Sharma recalls Kohli's brave decision to go for the target in Adelaide 2014 Test
Veteran Indian spinner Karn Sharma recently recalled the experience of his maiden Test, which happened to be the first match of the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar series in Adelaide. While the Men in Blue went on to lose the Test, they were hailed for the spirit and competitiveness shown.
The leg-spinner had a rough debut as Australia piled on 517 runs in the first innings. He bowled 33 overs, conceded 142 runs, and picked up the wickets of centurions David Warner and Michael Clarke.
The contest marked Virat Kohli's first-ever captaincy assignment after MS Dhoni was ruled out due to a thumb injury. India had to concede a lead despite a spirited batting display in the first innings with 444 runs on the board, where Kohli stepped up with a hundred.
After Australia declared at 290-5 in the second innings, India were handed a target of 364 to chase down on the final day of the match. The majority expected the visitors to back down and claim a hard-earned draw, but they famously went for the kill.
"Making my Test debut against Australia in Australia will always remains special. Very few people get that type of start. The dressing room atmosphere was quite good. Ravi Shastri, the coach, was there. We were chasing over 300 runs in that match and Virat said 'no draw. We are going to chase it down'. That injected a lot of positivity among players in the dressing room," Sharma said on Manjot Kalra's YouTube Channel.
Sharma recalled how Kohli's decision was an unorthodox and welcoming one.
"It was a different approach. Different captain has a different approach, But ever since he said we are chasing over 300 in the fourth innings of a Test – which was very tough in Australian conditions – it sends a wonderful indication to the players in dressing room, that your captain has different plans," he added.
Kohli led from the front with a defiant 141-run knock off 175 deliveries in the final innings. He forged a mammoth partnership with Murali Vijay for the third wicket to guide India to 242-2 in 70 overs. However, India began to lose wickets in a heap, and with Kohli being the seventh wicket to fall, Australia made light work of the tail and ended up winning by 48 runs.
"He always gave that impression that everything is fine" - Karn Sharma on Kohli's infamous 2014 England tour
Virat Kohli suffered one of the leanest patches of his red-ball career when he struggled during the tour of England in 2014. He scored only 134 runs across 10 innings as India lost the series 3-1.
Kohli particularly faced trouble while facing James Anderson, and could only record a highest score of 39 in the series.
He didn't get runs but to be honest, it never looked as if he was out of form. He always gave that impression that everything is fine. Through his preparations, fitness, mental approach, Kohli never appeared too bothered or was fretting over the fact that he had a bad Test series," Sharma said during the same discussion.
Karn Sharma and Virat Kohli share the dressing room as they represent the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).