With Virat Kohli, such is his brilliance, there was a worry when MS Dhoni decided to step down as captain, worry that the batting superstar might now be burdened with too much.
India vs England 1st ODI highlights
Apart from being the best batsman in the team and also leading India in Test cricket, the fact that Kohli would also have to do the same in the other two formats meant there was a whole lot more on his plate.
However, what also needs to be taken into consideration is that, while having the weight of expectations of every single Indian cricket fan on your shoulders and, on top of that, captaining his side in all three formats of the game, might be a little too much for mere mortals, Kohli is an exalted being, one that was brought to this earth to bat, lead and win India cricket matches – or if you believe "Ancient Aliens" theories, we might just have an extra-terrestrial being on our hands, you know the ones they keep talking about having extraordinary powers (no, no Kohli is not an alien, it is just a joke, although it would explain how he has such extraordinary powers).
The ease with which Kohli eased into the captaincy role – ok, he did not have a great time on the field as England smashed 350 – was great to see and then the intent that he showed after walking onto the pitch following the inevitable early wicket of Shikhar Dhawan was what really turned this game around.
As Dhawan and KL Rahul floundered against the England pacers in the first few overs, Kohli came in, jumped down the track to David Willey and smashed him over wide long-on for a six. There were plenty of shots from the right-hander in the air this time – this was not Test cricket, this was a one-day chase of 350 and risks were going to be taken, calculated ones that he knew were going to come off.
While Rahul was disappointing and fell early, what was great to see was that even Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni showed positive intent early – there was no, "let me play myself in and then hopefully turn it on," it was all "we need to show the England bowlers there is no messing around and they are in for a hard time," something the openers failed to do up front until Kohli came in and changed the tempo.
Tempo is so important in a chase, and there is no better player in finding the right one than Kohli. With that tempo now set, thanks to the India captain, Kedar Jadhav came in knowing what was expected of him.
What is great for a batsman playing under Kohli is that, even if he tries the wrong shot or a stroke that does not quite come off, you know there will be a nod of encouragement, a walk down the pitch from the captain asking you to keep that intent and keep backing yourself.
That to a player trying to settle into a team is like liquid gold; it frees you up, allows you to express yourself and the result was there for everyone to see as Jadhav played the best innings of his career to lead India to a wonderful victory.
