Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 6 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed dissapointment with star batter Virat Kohli’s shot selection during the first innings of the second Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval, pointing out that the reason behind batter’s decline in batting average is his “adamance” to not tackling hiss issue against outside off-stump deliveries.
After a brilliant, returnt to form century at Perth, Virat could not add much to his Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 run tally as he could score just seven runs in the first innings. The eighth delivery he faced, bowled by Starc to him, was a length ball outside off and had a great bounce. The 36-year-old was caught in two minds, to play it or leave it and ended up deflecting it towards Steve Smith at slips.
After his dismissal, Manjrekar took to X and wrote, ” One important reason why Virat’s average has slipped to 48 now, is the unfortunate weakness outside off. But more crucially his adamance to not try another way to tackle it.”
https://x.com/sanjaymanjrekar/status/1864912696631865482
Virat has been struggling with facing outside off-stump deliveries since years, often edging the ball to wicketkepeer or a slip fielder while attempting a cover drive, one of most beloved and high-scoring shots.
From averaging 54.98 at the end of 2019, Virat’s average has now declined to 47.91. In 120 matches and 204 runs, he has scored 9,152 runs with 30 centuries and 31 fifties. His best score is 254*.
Since 2020 start, he has scored just 1,950 runs in 36 Tests and 63 innings at a sub-par average of 32.50, with three centuries and nine fifties. His best score is 186. He has witnessed a huge drop of form in recent years in Tests.
This year in eight Tests, Virat has scored 362 runs at an average of 27.84, with a century and a fifty in 15 innings and best score of 100*.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to bat first. After Yashasvi Jaiswal was removed for a golden duck, KL Rahul (37 in 64 balls, with six fours) and Shubman Gill (31 in 51 balls, with five fours) put on a 69-run stand. After that India lost wickets regularly, though they witnessed fightbacks from Nitish Kumar Reddy (42 in 54 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and Ravichandran Ashwin (22 in 22 balls, with three fours) in the later half of the innings.
Mitchell Starc (6/48) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia. Pat Cummins and Scott Boland got two scalps each. (ANI)
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