Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Virat Kohli's failure in BGT 2024-25 3rd Test ft. Michael Vaughan
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli continued his disappointing form in the Border-Gavaskar (BGT) 2024-25 series against Australia. He was dismissed on 3 off 16 by nicking Josh Hazlewood's ball outside the off-stump in the ongoing Gabba test on Monday (December 16).
The area around the off-stump has become a weak point for Kohli, as he has now been dismissed in four out of five occasions behind the stumps in this series.
The natural tendency to reach out to the wider deliveries at the fifth stump line has been a persistent problem for Kohli. This move has invited the bowlers to exploit his weakness, especially on foreign soil.
During the 2003-04 tour to Australia, Sachin Tendulkar underwent a similar slump in his form. However, the Sydney test witnessed him completely shelving his trademark cover drive. The approach bore fruit as 'Little Master' went on to return with knocks of 241* and 60*.
Likewise, Kohli will look to change his technique and help the visitors prevail in the test series. As for the game, India ended Day 3 on 51/4 in response to Australia's 445.
On that note, let's take a look at the expert reactions to another reckless Virat Kohli knock in BGT.
#1 Cheteshwar Pujara
Virat Kohli's former teammate Cheteshwar Pujara opened up on the star batter's struggle with the red ball. He feels Kohli needs to learn to tackle the balls outside the off-stump, but is confident of the right-hander returning to his former self.
Further, Pujara pointed out that the new ball has become a glaring weakness of Kohli and his technique isn't equipped to handle the fresh red cherry. In an interaction on Star Sports, Pujara said:
"His technique is not made for the new ball. His batting should come after 10, 15 or 20 overs. If he plays the new ball, the bowlers are fresh, and their confidence is also high. When they get two wickets, the entire team is charged up. So when you come to bat at that stage, it's not easy.”
#2 Aakash Chopra
Former cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra took to his YouTube channel to share his views on Virat Kohli's slump. He said:
"His struggle against the balls outside the off-stump is well-documented. A similar thing happened in the 2012 tour, which forced him to change his stance and opt for a big stride, which gained him success. However, towards the end of his career, the problem has arisen again."
Moreover, Chopra wondered if the aforementioned technique used by Sachin could work wonders for Kohli as well. He pointed out the need for the Indian top order to fire to relieve the right-hander of the pressure in the infancy of his innings., saying:
"Virat Kohli is clearly not at the top of his game. He could opt for the approach used by Sachin in the 2003-04 tour. He is struggling to score runs when he arrives early at the crease. He needs a bit of shielding from the top order to make his job easier."
#3 Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik interacted with Harsha Bhogle on Cricbuzz, as the duo delved into the depth of Indian batters' worrisome form in the BGT. Karthik thinks Kohli is equipped to play drives on the rise, indicating his exposure to the white-ball formats.
The former keeper-batter feels Kohli knows his apparent weakness, but is still caught up due to his tendency to score runs through his trademark shot. He said:
"Kohli is thinking in his mind to leave the ball outside the off-stump. But, he is so tuned to doing it and is thinking about it so much through the day and night. I think his body reacts in such a way that his hands go hard at the ball, which is inducing his edge."
"He is aware and wants to leave it, but his mind is playing a trick. When he is at the centre, I think his perception goes towards the ball, which is hampering him," he added.
#4 Parthiv Patel
Former Indian wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel appeared in an interaction on Cricbuzz. Along with mentioning the flaws of other batters, Patel pointed out that Virat Kohli has been regularly getting dismissed by bowlers around the off-stump. He thinks that Kohli along with other batters have failed to apply themselves better in testing conditions.
Parthiv Patel said:
"Virat is getting out chasing the balls outside the off-stump. He spent a little time at the crease. But looking at his dismissal, the ball was pitched around the sixth stump and he tried to play a big shot. There is no doubt that bowlers have been performing well for Australia but the Indian batters have helped them with their bad shot selection."
#5 Michael Vaughan
Former England captain Michael Vaughan thinks Virat Kohli needs to be patient early on in the innings to get some runs under his belt. As per Vaughan, the star batter needs to leave out some balls to adapt to the surface.
“He’s a player who’s going out there (and) almost trying to get on top too soon,” Vaughan was quoted as saying by FOX Sports.
“When he plays at his best, particularly in Australia and England when the ball does a little bit more, he just leaves the ball. Most of his dismissals in this series have been balls that he could have left. I don’t think he’s got a jaffa," he added.