What is Virat Kohli’s record against spin in India since the start of 2021?
Virat Kohli's troubles against spin wrote another chapter on Saturday. New Zealand's left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner dismissed him for the second time in the Pune Test for 17 (40) to dent India's chances of saving the three-Test series.
It happened on the last ball of the 30th over. Kohli didn't read the arm ball and missed his backfoot flick, only to get hit on the pad plumb in front of the stumps. He reviewed the call, more in hope than confidence, but it was upheld.
In the last innings, Santner didn't even have to do much to get him out. Kohli missed a straight, low full-toss in his attempt to sweep -- a shot he rarely plays -- across the line to the leg side and was bowled for just 1 (9).
Kohli's (and by extension, most Indian batters') troubles against spin aren't a new story. For the former captain, this issue has been out of hand in the last few years.
In 25 innings at home since 2021, Virat Kohli has scored 590 runs against spinners, averaging just 29.50. More tellingly, he has got out to spinners on 20 of these occasions. His numbers against pacers aren't much better -- an average of 32.20 -- but various oppositions have successfully exploited his weakness against spin.
Which type of spinner has got Virat Kohli out the most number of times since 2021 in India?
To go deeper, during this time, left-arm off-spinners have dismissed him 10 times for an average of 27.3. Right-arm off-spinners have also taken his wicket 10 times at 31.7 apiece. Four other wickets have come against pacers.
Although it's part of a wider problem, Kohli's issues have also been exaggerated because of how good he used to be. Before 2021, Kohli averaged 55.8 and 61.6, respectively, against left-arm and right-arm spinners, getting out only five times against the former in almost the first three-quarters of his Test career in India.