"He got a little exposed" - Saba Karim on Virat Kohli's dismissal in IND vs NZ 2024 3rd Test
Saba Karim reckons Virat Kohli got slightly exposed due to a technical deficiency in India's second innings of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai. He pointed out that the modern batting great allowed the ball to turn by placing his pads away from the line of the delivery.
Kohli managed a solitary run before being caught at slip by Daryl Mitchell off Ajaz Patel's bowling. India were bundled out for 121 in pursuit of a 147-run target on Sunday, November 3, and lost the game by 25 runs.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Saba was asked about his thoughts on Kohli's dismissal.
"He was practicing this morning how to bat against left-arm spin. So the clarity was there in Virat Kohli's mind when he went out to bat. He played too much inside the line. In the last three Test matches, he has tried to take the bat and not the pad in the left-arm spinner's line. That positive intent is always there and he is always on the lookout for singles," he responded.
"Here also the footwork was correct but the ball to which he got out, I feel he played too much inside the line, and that's why he couldn't negotiate the ball when it turned. He got a little exposed. When he brought the bat, the ball got the time to turn and that's why it got the outside edge," the former India selector added.
Saba noted that Kohli failed to follow the main mantra of playing spin on turning pitches.
"We keep saying that this is basic but it's not that easy to implement it. If you haven't practiced playing on such wickets, it takes time to develop the skill. On spinning tracks, the main mantra is that you have to take the bat in the line of the spinner's ball. You cannot play for the spin," he explained.
Saba Karim pointed out that batters got beaten numerous times in the Mumbai Test despite not making any mistakes. He added that batters will continue to get beaten on such wickets, but the chances of getting edges are enhanced if they play inside or outside the line.
"He has taken the leg away from the ball and given space for the ball to spin" - Parthiv Patel on Virat Kohli's dismissal
![Virat Kohli endured a lean run in the three-Test series against New Zealand. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/66c6e-17306341838591-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same discussion, Parthiv Patel noted that Virat Kohli practicing against spin without pads potentially contributed to his dismissal.
"The most important thing we saw in practice was that when you bat without pads, it's in your mind that the ball would come and hit your legs. So you don't take your leg in the line of the ball but away from it. Here also you will see that he has taken the leg away from the ball and given space for the ball to spin," he explained.
The former India wicketkeeper-batter added that Kohli's tendency to defend with hard hands also played a role in his dismissal.
"That's why we say that you need to practice based on what's going to happen in the match. There is no doubt that he defends with hard hands. It's not only today, that's from earlier. It's actually a technical thing that when a left-arm spinner bowls and it spins, you have to bring your leg slightly inwards," Patel observed.
Virat Kohli had a horror run in the three Tests against New Zealand. He aggregated 93 runs at a paltry average of 15.50 in six innings, with a 70-run knock in India's second innings of the first Test in Bengaluru being his only half-century.