Ind vs Aus: Apt time for Virat Kohli to replace Dhoni, says Ian Chappell

Adelaide The Adelaide Oval may look brand new after a major facelift but the ground provided a sharp reminder of a very old cricketing axiom leadership countsMahendra Singh DhoniFirst Michael Clarke with a gritty knock full of mental courage scored a century dedicated to his fallen comrade Phil Hughes but also containing a simple reminder to his teammates that were in this together It was also a continuation of a theme hes espoused from Day One of his captaincy reign strong leaders are buoyed by the extra responsibilityThen Virat Kohli standby captain but potential fulltime leader countered with an innings littered with physical courage after receiving a fearful blow to the head and producing a glittering array of shotsKohlis innings issued a strong challenge to his own team and sent a simple but forceful message to his opponents we will not be brushed aside as easily as the last time we were in AustraliaKohli had spoken of the enormous challenge facing India in the lead up to the first Test and how the team was ready That was the easy part mdash speaking the words mdash what followed was the hard part living up to the rhetoric on the fieldHe played the part perfectly leading from the front and dragging his young charges with him If Brian Lara christened his daughter Sydney after the site of his first Test century then Kohli has multiple reasons to name any female offspring he produces AdelaideThe playing success of the two captains in the Adelaide Test has raised questions about the immediate leadership direction of both teams especially with the latest injury to ClarkeThreehorse raceThe selectors now have to decide whether to appoint a shortterm replacement captain in Brad Haddin or with both Steve Smith and David Warner in supreme form do they expose their plans for the futureThe onfield altercations that occurred on a fiery fourth day as both teams battled for supremacy may have further clouded those issues for the selectorsIn the case of Warner his taunting of fast bowler Varun Aaron may have convinced selectors that hes just too much of a ticking time bomb to risk with the captaincy Smith must now be clear favourite for the captaincy if Clarke is going to be missing in action for any length of timeIn Indias case Kohlis performance over three and a half days must have tempted the selectors into thinking now is the right time to elevate him to fulltime Test captaincy Theres no doubt that MS Dhoni has passed his usebydate as a Test captain and this seems the perfect time to enact the change overThen the one issue that has always clouded the future of Kohli as a captain raised its ugly head his emotions got the better of him as a second onfield altercation eruptedCalm before stormWhereas in the first outbreak of hostilities Kohli remained calm and acted wisely in soothing some of his agitated teammates this time his frustration boiled over He inflamed a debate that started with Rohit Sharma querying Smiths method of kicking his offspinners and then refused to be placated by the umpires attempts to get the game back onto an even keelThis is a young Indian side full of potential and the desire to establish its competitive credentials As a player Kohli has indicated hell be buoyed by the leadership duties not weighed down by responsibilityHowever his petulance on day four raised doubts about his ability to provide the calm thoughtful presence that could mould the teams potential into a combative winnerThe generally peaceful surroundings of Adelaide Oval also provided another strong reminder for crickets officials If they continue to allow the onfield chatter to escalate the verbal altercations will eventually turn into something far more ugly