Mohammad Kaif Says Virat Kohli Could Have Changed India’s Colombo Test Fate

India’s World Test Championship campaign suffered a setback after the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo ended in a draw. Despite putting themselves in a strong position after declaring on 503/9 and bowling Sri Lanka out for 290, India could not complete a 2-0 series sweep.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes the team could have benefited from the presence of former captain Virat Kohli during the tense final stages of the Test. Kaif highlighted Kohli’s trademark intensity and his habit of constantly communicating with teammates as qualities that could have made a difference.

Mohammad Kaif highlights Virat Kohli’s leadership style

Virat Kohli was known during his Test captaincy for maintaining a high level of energy on the field. Whether India were dominating or under pressure, the former skipper regularly encouraged teammates and kept the intensity high.

Reflecting on India’s performance in Colombo, Kaif suggested that a more vocal presence could have helped the bowling attack maintain pressure on Sri Lanka during their long resistance.

“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.

India failed to maintain pressure on final day

Sri Lanka entered the final day at 230/6 after being asked to follow on. India were still in a commanding position, but the hosts showed remarkable resilience and batted through the entire day to finish on 429/9.

Kaif felt India gradually lost some of the urgency required to finish the match. According to him, the Indian bowlers appeared to rely heavily on the conditions rather than creating enough pressure through their own intensity and tactics.

“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.

The draw meant India missed a major opportunity to strengthen their position in the World Test Championship standings. The team remained fifth, while Sri Lanka stayed sixth, leaving India with a difficult road ahead in the qualification race.

‘If Virat Kohli had been playing, result would have been different’

Kaif went further by arguing that Kohli’s presence could have changed the atmosphere on the field. He pointed to the former captain’s ability to energise younger players and challenge opposition batters during crucial periods.

“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 also imagined how Kohli might have interacted with India’s players during the final day, particularly when the Sri Lankan lower order continued to resist.

“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.

Colombo draw complicates India’s WTC qualification hopes

The result was particularly costly because India had already secured a significant first-innings advantage. After scoring 503/9 declared, the visitors dismissed Sri Lanka for 290 and enforced the follow-on.

Sri Lanka, however, produced a determined second-innings performance and avoided defeat. The hosts eventually reached 429/9 before the match ended in a draw.

India still won the two-match series 1-0, but the missed victory in Colombo reduced their margin for error in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.

With several important Tests still remaining, India will need consistent results in their upcoming assignments. The challenge becomes even more significant because Australia are among their future opponents.

Shubman Gill faces scrutiny after Colombo draw

Shubman Gill’s captaincy also came under discussion following the draw. His decision to enforce the follow-on had initially appeared logical given India’s lead and the limited time available because of weather concerns.

However, once Sri Lanka survived the final day, questions naturally emerged about whether India could have managed the game differently.

Kaif’s comments focused less on the follow-on decision itself and more on India’s intensity and ability to sustain pressure. His comparison with Kohli underlines the importance of leadership and communication during extended periods of Test cricket.

Virat Kohli’s Test legacy continues to influence India

Although Kohli retired from Test cricket in May 2025, his leadership style continues to be used as a benchmark when India face difficult situations in the longest format.

His tenure was associated with an aggressive approach, strong fitness standards and an emphasis on maintaining intensity throughout a Test match. Kaif believes those qualities could have been particularly valuable during Sri Lanka’s prolonged resistance in Colombo.

For India, the immediate focus will now shift towards the remaining matches of their WTC campaign. The Colombo draw may have denied them valuable points, but the team still has an opportunity to recover with strong performances in the Tests ahead.