Two of the most successful captains in Indian cricket history are Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. India’s most successful Test skipper was Kohli, even though Dhoni took home all three of the big white-ball titles. In ODIs, both have amassed over 10,000 runs, although Kohli has performed marginally better in Test matches. While 14 of Kohli’s 30 Test hundreds occurred overseas, Dhoni never achieved a century there. In the beginning, though, things were different.
An early comparison between Dhoni and Kohli
Dhoni seems to bat better on foreign surfaces in the early going of Kohli’s Test career, particularly in SENA nations. Former fast bowler Neil Wagner claimed that he bothered Kohli with short-pitched bowling during a 2014 Test match between India and New Zealand, but Dhoni was easily defeating them.
Wagner’s strategy against Kohli
Wagner said, “I remember this Test match, the pitch was flat, but there was a little bounce in it. I bowled some bouncers and especially Virat Kohli looked a little confused. He was not able to decide whether to play the ball or leave it. He tried to play a shot, and the ball took the edge and went into the hands of BJ Watling.”
India’s defeat at the Auckland Test
In the fourth innings of this Auckland match, New Zealand set a goal of 407 runs for India. Kohli scored 67 runs to dominate the innings. India had a score of 268/5 at one point, and victory seemed possible. India was reinforced by Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja’s 54-run partnership following fifties from Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli. However, New Zealand won by 40 runs when India was all out for 366 runs, thanks to Wagner’s 4/62 statistics.
Dhoni’s wicket and Wagner’s confidence
Wagner recalled, “Dhoni and Jadeja looked like they would win the match. Dhoni did not seem bothered by the short ball. I bowled a slower bouncer, and Dhoni was bowled. That moment gave me confidence and belief that it is right to trust my gut feeling.”
