Former cricketer concerned about India's over-dependence on Kohli, Dhawan

Team India created history with their scintillating series win against South Africa. There is still one more match to play in the six-match ODI series but the visitors have an unassailable lead of 4-1. The pillars of the Indian team with the bat in the tournament have been Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. While many are pleased with it, former cricketer Mohinder Amarnath looked concerned with India’s over-dependence on the two batsmen.

While Kohli leads the run charts in the series with 429 runs to his name, Shikhar Dhawan comes in next with 305 runs to his tally. Mohinder Amarnath feels that the century from Rohit Sharma in the previous game is a much needed relief amidst this backdrop. In his latest column for the Times of India, he noted that Rohit’s ton was a timely addition in the worrying times for the Indian batting. The Indian middle-order, in particular, has looked very bleak thus far.

“One of the best things to come out of Tuesday’s game is Rohit Sharma’s knock. He seemed a different player. The aggression was there, and he didn’t shy away from hitting those short balls which were bothering him earlier on this tour. He is one of those players who can convert a start into a big innings, and this was a crucial one as India needed someone in the top order to stand up. So far it has been Virat or Shikhar Dhawan who have been the main pillars on this tour,” Mohinder Amarnath wrote.

“The Indian middle order is still a bit of a worry for me. So far, they have not really come to terms with the opponents, and the worry is that if the top-order fails, then what will happen? They need to be more consistent so that they can take the responsibility on themselves, should the situation demand,” he added.

Mohinder Amarnath on the Indian spin magic

Furthemore, Mohinder Amarnath had his praises reserved for Indian wrist spinners – Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. Both Kuldeep and Chahal have been the main thorns in the flesh for the Proteas in the series thus far. The Chahal-Kuldeep duo combined with wits of MS Dhoni have wreaked havoc in the opposition camp.

“Wristspinners are a very important part of the team, especially overseas where wickets are not usually conducive to spin. These two boys, Kuldeep and Chahal, have done very well right through. It is their bowling that changed the complexion of the whole series, especially if you take into consideration the number of wickets they have taken and the time taken to pick them up,” the former cricketer noted.

Commenting on the opposition, Mohinder Amarnath rightly cited that the South African team has been depending a lot on their senior batsmen Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers. Apart from these two players, no other player has looked confident against the spin of Chahal and Kuldeep. Amarnath, in his opinion, feels that this is the key reason why India has nosed ahead in the competition.

“South Africa rely too heavily on Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, who are probably the only two players who really read Kuldeep and Chahal well. The others, honestly, seem to have no clue: there’s a lot of guesswork and slogging. That may work sometimes, but not all the time against quality spinners. Kuldeep and Chahal have managed to create doubt in their minds, leaving them to wonder how tackle them. This has been the difference and something that has helped India win in South Africa,” he conceded.

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