"Those are embarrassing numbers" - Irfan Pathan says Virat Kohli will want to improve his recent record in Tests
Irfan Pathan has highlighted that Virat Kohli's recent Test match numbers are unbecoming of him and that the modern batting great would want to improve on that count in the upcoming Test series against Australia.
Rohit Sharma and Co. will lock horns with the Aussies in a four-match Test series, with the first game to be played in Nagpur from February 9. Kohli will hope to carry his white-ball form to red-ball cricket, especially considering the importance of the series for the hosts' hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
During a discussion on the Star Sports show 'Game Plan', Pathan was asked about his thoughts on the one thing Virat Kohli would want to achieve from the series, to which he responded:
"Especially, how he plays against the spin. If you see his numbers from 2020 to now in Test cricket, those are embarrassing numbers, for a guy like Virat Kohli who is an absolute legend of Indian and world cricket, having scored nearly 25,000 runs."
The former Indian all-rounder highlighted that Kohli has had a dismal run with the bat in the last three years, observing:
"When you see you can't even have an average of 30 for three years, that's a long period of time, so I think that's one thing he will have on his mind."
Test batting averages since 1st January 2020. (Matt Henry v Kimg Kohli ). #Cricket
26.50 - Matt Henry
26.20 - Virat Kohli https://t.co/j97u8xZ6Gf
Kohli has aggregated 917 runs at a lowly average of 26.20 in the 20 Tests he has played since the beginning of 2020. He didn't score a century as well in this period, with a 79 against South Africa in Cape Town in January last year being his top score.
"He has been struggling against spin especially" - Irfan Pathan on Virat Kohli
Pathan pointed out that Kohli has struggled against spin lately, stating:
"At the same time, how he is going to be countering the spin of Lyon as well as Agar because he has been struggling against spin especially. I think the one thing he can do personally as well is try to be a little more aggressive because the strike rate against spin has come down as well."
The cricketer-turned-commentator wants the Indian batting mainstay to adopt a slightly more aggressive approach against Nathan Lyon, explaining:
"I know we are talking about Test cricket here but sometimes being slightly more aggressive against spin might actually make you better in that counter when you are facing guys like Nathan Lyon, who is outstanding with his spin, extra bounce and he gets that ball going away from the right-handers as well."
Ian Chappell said - "One of the main tasks for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara will be to establish mental superiority over Nathan Lyon in BGT". (To ESPNcricinfo)
Kohli has fallen prey seven times to Lyon in Test cricket but averages a healthy 58.6 against him. The off-spinner dismissed him once in the three Tests the former Indian skipper played in the last home series against Australia in 2017.