Virat Kohli's comeback to Test cricket hasn't been ideal.
While the Men in Blue managed to secure a comprehensive win in the first India vs Bangladesh Test match, star batter Virat Kohli had a difficult time in the middle.
Playing his first Test match of the year after skipping the five-match England series earlier, Kohli’s comeback wasn’t exactly ideal.
He managed paltry scores of 6 and 17 in the series opener against Bangladesh and the recent events during India’s net practice session ahead of the second India vs Bangladesh Test match in Kanpur don’t spell good news either.
According to an Indian Express report, Kohli struggled significantly against both spin and pace.
Kohli took on India’s talismanic fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah for 15 deliveries, in which he was dismissed four times.
Although, Kohli appeared comfortable at the start, dispatching a few trademark strokes including a cover drive that had the handful of onlookers cheering but then Bumrah landed one on Kohli’s pads leading to a confident shout.
“Saamne laga hai (You are plumb)” from the pacer, which Kohli acknowledged.
The competition intensified when Bumrah adjusted his length, causing Kohli to edge the ball. Bumrah then altered his strategy by bowling a straighter line, trapping Kohli two more times, with the ball popping up after striking his inside edge on both occasions.
Taunting the former India skipper, Bumrah smirked, “Aakhiri wala toh short leg ka catch tha (The short leg would have caught that last one).”
Kohli’s difficulties were even more pronounced against India’s renowned spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel. In recent years, his challenges against spin bowling have been widely recognized.
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While facing Jadeja, Kohli attempted to counter by playing inside-out shots but missed three consecutive attempts, visibly showing his frustration. Eventually, during the same session, Axar Patel bowled him out, marking the end of Kohli’s innings.
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