Virat Kohli’s poor form continued in the Pune Test as he got dismissed after scoring a single run. The star batter was able to last just 9 balls on the crease before he was cleaned up by New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner on a full toss. Kohli misjudged the ball completely and tried to play his signature glance shot, but that move ended up backfiring.
Seeing Kohli depart for another low score in the series, India legend and former coach Anil Kumble pointed a finger at the batter’s absence from domestic cricket. He also suggested that playing in the Irani Cup could have turned out to be fruitful for him.
“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 said on Jio Cinema.
“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,” Kumble added.
With the first already resulting in a convincing defeat, a loss in the second Test could turn out to be catastrophic for the Indian team as not only would it put a massive dent on their World Test Championship hopes but would also make New Zealand the first team to beat India in a Test series at home since 2012.
