"He has put all his eggs in one basket" - Sanjay Manjrekar dissects Virat Kohli's dismissal on Day 1 of BGT 2024-25 1st Test
Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out a technical flaw in Virat Kohli's approach following the ace batter's early dismissal in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test series opener against Australia. Kohli scored just five runs during his brief stay at the crease on Day 1 (Friday, November 22) of the Perth Test.
The seasoned campaigner was caught in the slips off pacer Josh Hazlewood's bowling. Speaking about the wicket, Manjrekar emphasized that Kohli's overdependence on the front foot has been the cause of his downfall lately.
He reckoned that Kohli has been concerned about losing his wicket to a full-length swinging delivery, leading to him looking to play most balls on the front foot.
Dissecting the ace batter's dismissal in the Perth Test, Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo:
"Post-2013, Virat Kohli very concerned about that ball pitched up, Jimmy Anderson-kind, outside the off stump. So, stands outside the batting crease, wants to get onto the front foot to nullify the swing, but now bowlers are bowling shorter to him because of that. You saw that in the Bangalore Test match as well, New Zealand bowlers doing that and Virat Kohli getting out on the leg side.
"Josh Hazlewood generally was fuller, 60 per cent balls in the full-length area. The moment Virat Kohli started doing this, he went a little short. Basically, he has put all his eggs in one basket, Virat Kohli, which is about not getting out on the front foot with that swinging ball, the full-length ball, but that's now making him a little vulnerable to all other deliveries, especially the one that is short of length," he concluded.
India won the toss and chose to bat first in the Test series opener. Not just Kohli, but the remaining batters also had a tough time on the Perth pitch as the visitors were bundled out for just 150. Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy was the top performer with the bat with an impactful 41-run knock.
Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Australian bowlers, bagging a four-wicket haul. The Indian bowlers also did a brilliant job, courtesy of skipper Jasprit Bumrah's inspired spell. The hosts finished at 67/7 at stumps. Bumrah shone with the ball, claiming four important scalps on the opening day.
"I am very hopeful that Virat Kohli will have that one final say in Australia" - Sanjay Manjrekar
Ahead of the Test series opener between India and Australia, Manjrekar predicted that Kohli will be able to turn things around. He opined that the veteran batter will thrive in the Australian conditions.
He also pointed out how Kohli performed admirably during India's tour of South Africa last year, scoring 172 runs across four innings in the two-match Test series. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said:
"Kohli's performance in South Africa, where he was India's best batter by far, the most consistent batter. The most difficult thing for Test batters today to achieve is consistency, and that is what Virat Kohli showed in that series. That's why I am very hopeful that Virat Kohli will have that one final say in Australia because mentally, he's just going to get freed up."
Kohli's red-ball form has come under the scanner following a string of underwhelming performances. India would want their star batter to set up against Australia as they need to win the series 4-0 to qualify for the World Test Championship 2023-25 final on their own.