Barring one flaw, Virat is an excellent captain: Mark Boucher

The Indian team had a golden run in 2017. They did not lose any series except the Champions Trophy. Different players performed at different junctures to bail the team out and maintain the pole position in the Test and ODI rankings. Virat Kohli led from the front by scoring tons of runs that also earned him the ICC Cricketer of the Year award.

The team was expected to do well on the overseas tours too. Time and again they have been termed as ‘poor travellers’ as they do not have a good record outside home. But this time too, the team failed to impress and are one loss away from a disappointing whitewash. Former Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher feels that the visitors haven’t done much wrong barring a few areas where they need to work on.

A lot to learn

Kohli is still in early days of his captaincy career. He needs to learn with every game. “Virat Kohli has been fantastic. I know Virat’s very emotional and his passion comes through. I have played with him (at RCB) and I understand that. I fully respect that. He plays at a very high intensity and expects that from the players as well. And I think the players have responded to him very well. Technically, there’s not too much he has done wrong,” Boucher said in an interview with the Hindustan Times.

The most successful wicketkeeper feels that fielding is one the key areas where the Men in Blue need to improve. The Proteas have been absolutely brilliant on the field grabbing each chance that comes their way and that has ultimately proved to be the difference.

Good fielding can lift the morale of the team and can often tilt the game in their favour. India’s slip fielding is the weakest and the major flaw there seems to be their position. The ball comes quicker in South Africa and thus the positions need to be tighter.

“Well, the conditions are different. The ball in the slips comes a lot higher, a lot quicker. The angles the Indians are standing in the slips are completely wrong. A couple of balls, especially to left-handers when the bowlers come around the wicket, the first slip has to be tighter. In India, because the edges come a lot slowly, you have time to move. In South Africa, the edges come quickly and fairly high,” Boucher added.

Kohli has led from the front and has scored runs in this series too. The team needs to support him more to avoid a whitewash in Johannesburg.