After mixed performance against New Zealand in Bengaluru Test, the struggle of Virat Kohli continues in the on-going Pune test.
In the day 2 of the 2nd Test, Virat arrived on the pitch after the dismissal of Shubman Gill, but only for 9 balls. He attempted to play a bizarre cross-batted shot against the left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, but ended up getting dismissed for just 1 run. Kohli misjudged the line while attempting to sweep a longer ball from Santner, which allowed it to slide through the space between bat and pad and hit the stumps.
Watching Kohli’s misjudged shot and giving away the wicket, India’s legend and former coach Anil Kumble blamed the batter’s absence from the local circuit for his departure, speculating that a stint in the Irani Cup or similar competitions may have improved his preparation.
Kohli must’ve played domestic game Kumble after Virat’s dismissal
Virat Kohli has long been concerned about spin bowling. Santner sent him packing for a low score by skillfully taking advantage of his vulnerability against spinners. Kumble believes that practicing on the net alone is insufficient for Kohli to improve this area of his game in domestic cricket. “Perhaps just one or two innings in a match situation could have helped. Being in an actual game is definitely more beneficial than just practice; it gives an upper hand. If he feels that playing earlier would have benefited him, and the team management agrees, then maybe it would have. However, I don’t think we can look at that as the only reason for his struggles against spin,” Kumble told Sports18.
‘When he’s come to the crease, the pitches have often favoured spin, which is a significant factor. His challenges against spin at the start of his innings haven’t been solely due to mindset but also conditions that aided spinners. This contributed to the dismissals of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli to the left-arm spin of Glenn Phillips, who was brought on as a strategic move. Even the best modern-day batters find these situations tricky,” he further added.
Kohli’s failure against spin bowl a major concern
This isn’t the first time Kohli faced a challenge playing against the spin. Since 2021, Kohli scored 606 runs at an average of 28.85 and a strike rate of 49.67 in 26 innings in Asia. He has been dismissed 21 times, demonstrating his challenge against the spin.
With Kohli’s dismissal, India’s batting woes continued in the second test with the team trailing New Zealand’s first-inning total of 259 by 152 runs. As of writing, New Zealand is leading by 209 runs.
