'If Virat Kohli had been playing result would have been different in Colombo' - Mohammad Kaif explains why

Sri Lanka secured an epic draw on the final day of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, denying India a 2-0 series sweep. The hosts batted for 154 overs in their second innings, with Sonal Dinusha remaining unbeaten on 133 to secure the draw. India won the two-Test series 1-0, collecting 16 points instead of the maximum 24 available from a clean sweep.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has analysed what might have shifted the outcome during that extended final day in Colombo. Kaif pointed to the absence of a commanding vocal presence in the Indian camp, suggesting that Virat Kohli's involvement could have altered the match dynamics and the team's approach to the situation.

"Playing Tests isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, boss. It’s a very long game and you have to keep bowling continuously. I felt that if someone like Virat Kohli had been playing this match, he would have been constantly shouting and keeping his team switched on," Kaif was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

Kaif felt India adopted a passive mindset during the final innings, relying too heavily on the pitch conditions rather than creating their own opportunities. He observed that the team's energy levels dipped as the day progressed, which he attributed to the absence of a forceful personality who could maintain intensity and drive the bowling attack forward.

"At times, I felt we took things for granted, thinking, ‘Just keep bowling, it will happen. The ball is turning so much, it will happen on its own," Kaif said.

Kaif elaborated on how Kohli's presence would have manifested on the field during those crucial hours. The former cricketer highlighted Kohli's ability to energise teammates and maintain aggressive intent, contrasting this with the actual approach India took against Sri Lanka's lower-order.

"The reason is that he would have been telling everyone, ‘Come on, Sarfaraz, come on, Jaiswal’ and he would have gone after Sonal as well. Who were we getting into confrontations with? We were getting into confrontations with Kumara," Kaif said.

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India remained fifth in the World Test Championship standings with a percentage of 51.52 following the series. The team had seven Tests remaining in the current WTC cycle, with two Tests scheduled away against New Zealand before hosting Australia for a five-Test series. India required victories in at least six of those remaining matches to maintain control of their qualification prospects in the championship.