The Indian batting giant was out trying to fend forward a steep rising delivery from the Australian left-arm pacer on Day 2 of the WTC final at The Oval.
Even as the rearing up off the shorter length delivery and diving catch taken by Steve Smith in slips got attributed to Virat Kohli’s misfortunes at The Oval, leading commentator Sanjay Manjrekar put the Indian batter’s technique to the scanner and once again questioned his obsession with the fronfoot ploy.
Kohli got out caught trying to push ahead to steep rising delivery from Starc on Day 2 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. The modern-day giant had fought his way to 14 off 30 deliveries, but tried to ride the bounce onto the frontfoot with both legs raised outside the crease and fended it to Smith’s pouching hands.
The dismissal brought Virat Kohli’s excessive inclination with frontfoot batting to the discussion table one more time as Manjrekar questioned wouldn’t the right-hander have been better off playing the same length from the backfoot?
Being in a more balanced standing, the former India player argued, would’ve allowed the Indian No.4 more time to watch the ball through and be in a position to either duck it or potentially dab it over the slips with pace and bounce.
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s ‘Match Day’ show to discuss Virat Kohli’s dismissal off Starc after Day 2 of the WTC final in England, Manjrekar said it’s been a trend with the great batter to shift his weight overwhelmingly onto the frontfoot irrespective of the length, which then leaves him little time to make late adjustments.
“A lot was said about the ball being bowled (by Starc), but I looked at the pitch map and the ball has actually pitched halfway (down the pitch). It’s a short ball and if you look at Virat Kohli’s position (pointing to the screen with Kohli’s both legs raised to try and ride the bounce on the bounce from outside the crease) and it got him on the glove,” Manjrekar said.
“But that’s a problem I’ve had with Virat Kohli where he is on the frontfoot no matter what,” he added. “That ball is short (and) unfortunately it’s reared off from the length, but when you’re getting onto the frontfoot and that backfoot is outside the front crease, (infact) both his legs are outside the crease and he’s trying to negotiate a ball that has reared from halfway down the pitch.”
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Manjrekar further dispelled the idea that Starc bowled a “snorter” that Kohli was unlucky to receive. The expert commentator insisted it would’ve been an unplayable ball if it reared off from the good length area, for which traditionally the batters would commit forward. But Kohli was trying to push ahead to a shorter length delivery.
