Kohli has been consistently exploited by the Aussie pacers in the series.
Star India batter Virat Kohli has been struggling to get going in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Barring his century in the opener in Perth, the former India skipper has managed scores of 5, 7, 11 and 3 in the four other innings he has batted.
However, the biggest issue in Kohli’s batting this series is that he has frequently chased balls moving away from his off stump which resulted in his dismissals. Kohli has been struggling with edging deliveries to the wicketkeeper or slip fielders, often while attempting a cover drive or trying to withdraw his bat when facing extra bounce.
In the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval, he nicked a delivery from Starc, followed by one from Scott Boland, who had replaced Josh Hazlewood. During the Gabba Test, he was dismissed while attempting a drive towards the cover region off Hazlewood’s bowling.
Over his last four innings, Kohli has managed only 26 runs, with Australian pacers consistently exploiting the channel.
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Thus in a bid to make amends, the dynamic right-hander asked pacers Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna to bowl to him outside off stump during the net session ahead of the upcoming Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Kohli also encouraged the pacers to increase their pace while praising their bowling efforts. He also practiced leaving deliveries to ensure he wasn’t edging, even on deliveries with extra bounce.
The star batter has been putting in significant effort, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he delivers a standout performance in the upcoming match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Virat Kohli also boasts an excellent record at the MCG, having accumulated 316 runs across six innings at an average of 52.66. In his most recent appearance at the venue, he scored 82 runs in the first innings but was dismissed for a four-ball duck in the second.
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