Virat Kohli depends a lot on MS Dhoni, reckons Anil Kumble

Former India skipper and head coach Anil Kumble definitely knows a thing or two about Virat Kohli and captaincy. The two had worked together as captain-coach for a year before the bond ended post the 2017 Champions Trophy. And the legendary leg-spinner believes Kohli-the captain is more comfortable when MS Dhoni is behind the stumps. Kohli’s reliance on Dhoni became very much evident with the way India struggled in the last two ODIs especially the fourth against Australia.

Dhoni was rested for the last two games and Kohli had to take all the decision by himself. In the Mohali ODI, India failed to defend a mammoth total of 358 against a side which had not won a bilateral series since the 2016-17 season. Kohli was finding it tough to stop the onslaught of the Australians and was also struggling with the field placement. The bowlers also struggled for guidance when Kohli went to the field in the outfield in order to cut down runs.

India lost the fifth ODI too to suffer their first ODI series defeat at home since Kohli took over as captain. India were the favourites to win the series especially after running away to a two-nil lead before the visitors won the last three games to stun the hosts.

It was also India’s first defeat in ODI series at home since the loss to South Africa in 2015. And Kumble believes Dhoni’s presence behind the stumps make Kohli more comfortable. Praising Dhoni, Kumble said leadership comes naturally to his former India teammate.

“I think he is certainly more comfortable, rather saying better captain; he is probably a lot more comfortable when MS is behind the stumps and then the conversation between him and Virat definitely helps him make the right decisions,” Anil Kumble said in a conversation with Cricket Next.

“I mean it comes naturally to MS,” said Kumble. “He had been the captain for a long long time. He is behind the stumps so he reads the game better than anybody else. He obviously is in conversation with the bowler on the kind of lines that he needs to bowl, the kind of pace that the bowlers need to bowl. And also with the field placing.”

Kohli depends a lot on Dhoni:

Time and again, Kohli has been seen approaching Dhoni to take suggestion during a tight situation or even during the DRS calls. Those scenes have made it more or less clear that when it comes to big decision, Kohli relies a lot on Dhoni’s inputs and Kumble also feels the same. The legendary leg-spinner said that Kohli depends a lot on his predecessor.

“I think Virat certainly depends a lot on MS Dhoni in One Day Cricket, for him to have those proper field placings. So that is something he probably had missed in the last two matches. And if you look at last 10 or 15 overs – the second half or the final powerplay Virat is generally manning the boundary. So yes, when MS is there he is on the boundary line and suddenly he had to man the last two overs and the last ten overs under pressure. So yes he certainly depends a lot on MS Dhoni,” said Kumble.

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