 "Virat Kohli fell victim to the off-stump line once again after getting caught-behind on 11 on Day 2 of the second Test between India and Australia in Adelaide. AP")
Sanjay Manjrekar felt Virat Kohli has a “serious technical issue” after the Indian batting star fell for a low score for the third time in four outings in the ongoing Test series against Australia. After scoring an unbeaten century in India’s second essay in Perth, Kohli was dismissed cheaply twice in a span of two days in the day-night Test in Adelaide. The former India captain was dismissed on 7 off Mitchell Starc’s bowling on the opening day before getting caught-behind on 11 on Saturday, with Scott Boland the one to send him back to the pavilion this time.
What made the dismissal off Boland’s bowling even more worrying for Kohli and the rest of the Indian team was the familiar manner in which he nicked the ball along the fourth-stump line to get caught-behind. The 36-year-old ranks among the greatest batters of all time, but his weakness outside the off side is something that bowlers have exploited time and time again, especially during his extended lean patch that began in early 2020 and lasted for the next two-three years.
“I don’t have strong opinions on Virat Kohli. I just say the truths, the facts that I see in front of me. It’s something that I have said before as well… The technique he has developed to counter that line outside the off stump, the swinging ball, has not really made his life easier,” former India batter Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo on Saturday.
“Clearly that was a problem earlier of no runs and a technical issue. But after getting a 100, he was troubled by that same line, showed that he has got a serious technical issue to which he just can’t find a solution,” added Manjrekar, who played 37 Tests and 74 ODIs for India.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsKohli, however, wasn’t the only Indian batter to flop in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who had missed the opening Test in Perth for the birth of his son, was dismissed for scores of 3 and 6, getting cleaned up by his Australian counterpart Pat Cummins on Saturday.
Cummins also got KL Rahul, who was persisted with as an opener, caught-behind earlier in the innings while Shubman Gill (28) and Rahul’s opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) departed after starting on a promising note as the visitors were reduced to 128/5 at close of play , still trailing the Aussies by 29 runs.
Australia had earlier bowled India out for 180 before posting 337 on the board, powered by local lad Travis Head’s superb 140 off 141 balls.