India did well in posting 509 runs on the board while batting first but the Lankans batted valiantly to force a draw despite being asked to follow-on. Team India could only secure a draw in the second Test against Sri Lanka as Gautam Gambhir ‘s men fell short of their target of two wins from the series. As the series ended with just one win to India’s name, former batter Mohammad Kaif targeted the tourists, questioning a number of players in the team, suggesting things could’ve been different if Virat Kohli was still playing.
The ball is turning so much, it will happen on its own’,” Kaif said in a video on his social media account. Seeing the Shubman Gill -led side throw in the towel on the final day, Kaif wasn’t impressed. “Playing Test cricket is not everyone’s cup of tea, boss. It is 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. At times, I felt we took things for granted, thinking, ‘Just keep bowling, it will happen. Kaif also questioned the Indian team’s energy levels in the second Test as Gill failed to recreate Kohli-like atmosphere in lifting the spirits of his teammates. “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 match, the result would have been different. 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.”
