5 dangers for India in the Border-Gavaskar Series

#4 Over-dependence on Kohli

Kohli has been in imperial form this season

When Kevin Pietersen tweeted that Kohli-out results in TV-off, he reminded a lot of fans of the 90s cricket when Sachin Tendulkar meant hope and he was the prized scalp for the opposition. India is over-dependent on Kohli despite its batting riches. Vijay and Pujara have shared the batting load well along with Kohli through the season.

Nevertheless, Kohli has become a psychological factor and probably the only player who can turn the tide of the game for India with aggression. Rahul is flamboyant but unreliable, and Vijay and Pujara have the habit of going off into their shell at times. Pujara has worked on that trait of his batting and tried a more positive approach against England with much success. He got a corker of a delivery in the first innings and put up some resistance in the second innings.

Nevertheless, India’s reliance on Kohli to impose themselves on the opposition is a worrying sign. This is where someone like Rohit Sharma could come in handy but the Mumbai batsman is inconsistent in Test cricket and is currently injured.