RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Mohammad Kaif believes India missed the intensity and urgency needed to force a result in the Colombo Test, suggesting Virat Kohli’s presence could have made a difference on a frustrating final day. India were in a strong position to complete a 2-0 series sweep but could not finish the job after Sri Lanka resumed the final day with six wickets down. The visitors managed only two more dismissals, while Sonal Dinusha produced an unbeaten century to help the hosts secure a draw. The result left India with a 1-0 series victory and made their road to the World Test Championship Final considerably tougher. India remain fifth in the WTC standings, with Sri Lanka sixth, and now have little room for error with seven Tests remaining. India need to win at least six of those seven matches to keep control of their qualification hopes, with Australia also among their remaining opponents. Kaif questions India’s intensity
Kaif felt the Colombo setback was partly down to India failing to maintain the kind of energy required during a long Test match. The former India batter pointed towards Kohli’s leadership style, particularly the way the former captain would constantly communicate with his teammates and keep the intensity high even during extended periods in the field. “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 said. According to Kaif, India appeared to believe that Sri Lanka’s resistance would eventually collapse because of the assistance available to the spinners, rather than actively creating pressure to force wickets. “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. ‘Result would have been different’
Sri Lanka’s lower order and Dinusha’s resistance eventually frustrated India, with the batter remaining unbeaten on 133 and playing a crucial role in saving the Test. Kaif argued that India needed to manufacture pressure rather than wait for opportunities to arrive. He also felt the team lacked the energy that Kohli traditionally brought to the field. “We created very few things ourselves. Our energy levels were also very low. That is why I am saying, if Virat Kohli had been playing this Test, the result would have been different," Kaif said. He suggested Kohli would have constantly pushed his teammates to stay aggressive and would have directly challenged Dinusha during his marathon resistance. “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 added. The draw means India now face a demanding stretch in their WTC campaign, where further dropped opportunities could significantly hurt their chances of finishing among the top two.
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