"Don’t be afraid to go over the top when the field is up" - Ravi Shastri advises Virat Kohli after latest dismissal in IND vs BAN 1st Test 2024
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri suggested Virat Kohli use hit feet more and look to go over the top against spinners to overcome his lean phase against them on Day 2 of the first India-Bangladesh Test in Chennai. Kohli was trapped LBW against off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz for just 17 in India's second innings at the tail end of the second day on Friday, September 20.
The 39-year-old has endured a torrid time against spin in Asian conditions over the past three years with an under 27 and a strike rate of 45.61 with 18 dismissals since 2021.
After his latest dismissal, Shastri on-air during his commentary stint said:
"He has [gotten out to spinners] especially in the last 2-3 years. But he has scored a lot of runs too. What you want to see him do more is use his feet. Get to the pitch of the ball, probably employ the sweep. You’ve got to move with the times, don’t be afraid to go over the top when the field is up. You could try and do things to unsettle the spinners rather than allowing him to keep bowling at you. It’s what he did a lot when he scored a lot of runs."
Kohli did not feature in the home series against England earlier this year and struggled on his return during the ongoing Bangladesh outing.
The champion batter was nicked off only 6 in the first innings and finished with a match tally of 23 runs.
"Some of the tracks that India have played on, it’s not been easy" - Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri defended Virat Kohli by mentioning that India have played on challenging tracks over the past few years and that the star batter has occasionally been dismissed in unfortunate ways.
After a poor 2020 to 2022 in Tests, Kohli responded by averaging almost 56 in red-ball cricket last year. However, he averages under 20 this year in two Tests.
"Also some of the tracks that India have played on. It’s not been easy. Plus I know a few dismissals where like Shubman Gill in the first innings, he’s gotten caught down leg wide. Funny dismissals. He’ll be aware of it. That’s for sure. There is no batter who doesn’t remember. Obviously you find a method of finding a solution. Find out what works for you and stick with that," said Shastri.
While still impressive, Kohli's overall Test average has dropped to under 49 (48.74) after 114 matches.
Despite his twin failures, India are still well-placed in the ongoing Chennai Test at 81/3 in the second innings with an overall lead of 308.