KL Rahul 'champion player', choosing openers will be tough, says Virat Kohli

Enter c — In the absence of KL Rahul (foreground), Shikhar Dhawan scored a career-best 190

What’s the story?

A resounding 304 run win in his pocket, Virat Kohli would be a relieved to be one-up, especially after having recently conceded that the loss in the first Test at the same ground two years ago had ‘dented the team mentally’.

The 28-year-old spoke to the media after the win, explaining how the team has evolved as a Test side over the last couple of years.

With Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund firing as well, Kohli revealed that the opening conundrum has become a happy headache for the team.

“Yes, it's a very tricky situation. We've got a fourth guy who's a regular opener for India who's not fit. We've got all four openers firing now. Shikhar was supposed to go to Melbourne, now he's got a 190 in Galle. So, anything can happen in life. Let's see how we decide on these things in the next three days”.

In case you didn’t know…

India recorded their biggest Test win in terms of runs outside home, inflicting a crushing defeat at the very ground where they lost the opening Test of the 2015 series. The series two years back was the first full-fledged one for skipper Kohli, who has, led the team to a total of 17 wins in 27 Tests.

The only concern right now for the team would be to figure out their opening combination: Dhawan and Mukund, replacements for Murali Vijay and KL Rahul, respectively made 190 and 87 in the first and second innings.

The heart of the matter

Kohli said that the team, over the last two years, has become more confident in their abilities and have started to read the pitches better. Praising the batsmen for the efforts, Kohli said that they exactly know what they have to do and how to plan the innings, and require no external input on their approach.

Opening up about the opening conundrum, Kohli confessed that choosing two people out of three will be tough, but the third guy will understand ‘whatever call is taken by the team’. He called KL Rahul, who missed the first Test due to fever, a champion cricketer, and said that the team will have to make the hard decision in the next three days.

What’s next?

The team will have to make the tough decision of choosing two out of Dhawan, Mukund and Rahul for the second Test that begins on August 3 at Colombo.

Author’s take

The Test team, under Kohli’s tutelage, has flourished, at least in the subcontinent, but is yet to be properly tested in unfamiliar conditions, which will require the best out of the young team which has proven itself comprehensively at home.

Both the interim openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund, grabbed the opportunity with both hands, but might find it difficult to retain their spots once the first choices return. If Rahul is deemed fit for the next Test, he should make it to the playing XI, as he has cemented his spot at the top with some fine performances in the past.