India’s Virat Kohli bats during play on day three of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.AP/PTI(AP12_16_2024_000005B)
India Test stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara has said that Virat Kohli’s existing technique exposes him against the new ball in Test cricket.
Speaking on Star Sports after Kohli was dismissed poking at a delivery outside the off-stump off Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood in the Gabba Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Monday, Pujara explained the chinks in the former India captain’s technique.
Early dismissals in the top three has meant Kohli has invariably come in to play the fresh Kookaburra in four of the five innings he has played this series, save the second-innings in the first Test where he recorded an unbeaten century.
“He has been forced to play the new ball. He has gotten out whenever he has played the new ball. When he played the old ball, he scored a hundred in Perth. So that’s also a very big point,” said Pujara.
“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.”
Virat Kohli’s enduring his worst year as a Test batter, averaging 25.06 in 17 innings for 376 runs. Kohli’s Test career average has also plummeted to 47.4, marking an eight-year low.
“In the match, for some reason, he wants to leave the ball but is unable to, and the bat is going there. So he will have to stop himself. He will have to change his mindset. There is a technical part that you are playing a delivery outside off-stump. However, if you have to leave the same delivery, it’s not a very big technical adjustment but he needs to make a bigger mental adjustment,” observed Pujara.
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