India’s failure to finish off Sri Lanka in the Colombo Test has sparked plenty of debate, and former batter Mohammad Kaif believes Virat Kohli’s presence could have changed the outcome. India entered the final day with a strong opportunity to complete a 2-0 series sweep. Sri Lanka had lost four wickets and were only 16 runs ahead, leaving India needing to maintain pressure and find the remaining breakthroughs.
Instead, Sonal Dinusha turned the contest around with a determined innings. The match ended in a draw after both teams shook hands. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former India cricketer suggested that Kohli’s vocal presence and aggressive approach could have prevented the Indian side from becoming passive.
Sri Lanka eventually declared their second innings at 429/9, leaving India with a target of 216. India had already won the opening Test, meaning the two match series finished 1-0 in their favour.
The bigger issue was not a lack of bowling quality but the inability to maintain the required intensity through an extremely long Test match, according to Kaif.
“Playing Tests isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, boss. It’s a very long game and you have to keep bowling continuously. “At times, I felt we took things for granted, thinking, ‘Just keep bowling, it will happen. The former India batter was particularly critical of the team’s energy levels during the decisive phase of the match.
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 said. The ball is turning so much, it will happen on its own,” Kaif said.
