Forty Grey Hairs in His Beard, But Has Virat Kohli Really Matured Into a Quality Leader?

Freedom of expression will be under the scanner as India switch to an aggressive captain from a leader who was more in control over his emotions. Virat Kohli, who wears his heart on his sleeves, will be leading India in his first Test series at home against South Africa. Captain Cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni led in the ODIs. (Virat Kohli & Co. Look for Redemption in Tests vs South Africa)

Kohli and Ravi Shastri is a heady combination. Critics have often questioned the wisdom of having an aggressive young captain mentored by a swashbuckling team director. But the Kohli and Shastri combo seems to have hit off well.

In fact, Shastri during the third Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo went to the extent of saying that he would be the "first person to tell Ishant Sharma to be aggressive."

"I know he (Ishant) has copped a lot of flak over the aggression and he will learn where to draw a line. But let me assure you, he has the backing of the entire team. I want him to be aggressive and I will be the first one to push him in that direction. But I will also mark the line. We will miss him for the first Test. He is our most experienced fast bowler," Shastri had said.

The team management's inability to control Ishant Sharma's hysteric reactions against Dhammika Prasad during the series hinted that players had the freedom to cut loose with their emotions.

The limits remain in the confines of the dressing room. Ishant for his antics received a one-match ban and will not be available for selection for the first Test against the Proteas.

Starting Thursday in Mohali, the players will need to control their emotions better in a series dedicated to two iconic political captains -- Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela -- who conquered minds and hearts with their ability to lead with discipline, perseverance and respect for rivals.

On Thursday, Kohli will turn 27. He told the media on Wednesday that he is more matured now. He had said this before too, but only to show streaks of immaturity with his brash body language or more precisely, vocabulary. Celebration or angst has often seen him hurling expletives, much to the chagrin of the purists.

As India's full-time Test captain and a man for the future, Kohli will have to lead by example and that means he will not only have to score the runs, but ensure that the naturally expressive players in his team know the fine line between acceptable and not unacceptable behaviour.

With bowlers expected to rule the roost in this long series, Kohli has to ensure that Ishant, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra and Ravichandran Ashwin not only control line and length but their behaviour as well.

The South Africans, meanwhile, are smart. They have mastered the art of gamesmanship and they will do everything to provoke the expressive men in Team India and knock them out by virtue of ICC's stiff Code of Conduct. (Dominant South Africa Seek India's Test Scalp)

There were streaks of arrogance in Kohli's address to the media on Wednesday. He pooh-poohed critics and said he remains unchanged as a person.

"The only things that has changed is that I have got 40 grey hairs in my beard," Kohli said. (Dale Steyn Takes Aim on Slow Indian Pitches)

But what is Kohli without expression? He is one of the characters of the game. Imagine John McEnroe not swearing at the umpire. Imagine, Chaminda Vaas minus his nasty stare at the batsman or a 'quiet' David Warner. Sports needs character but not brats.

Kohli said: "Obviously you do make mistakes and you learn from them along the way. I thought I was wasting too much energy in being too expressive on the field at times."

"You get smarter with age and with the amount of games you play at the highest level and that has happened with me as well. So it's not something very unnatural and I have not changed in a massive way."

Which is the real Kohli? We should be able to find an answer over the next four weeks.