The forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy means a lot for Virat Kohli given that the former India captain is fighting to be back in form. This comes after two consecutive home series failures to Bangladesh and New Zealand, and for veteran the five-match tour of Australia is being seen as one last roll of the dice in his glittering career. Said former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar that Kohli’s lean patch is well known to Australia meaning hosts will make sure he does not get settled on the crease.
“Virat knows exactly what’s going to be planned. They’ll start with that line outside the off-stump and gauge what his mood is. These days he looks to leave balls outside the off-stump and if they have anything that is pitched right up, he will look to drive,” Manjrekar said during an interaction with Star Sports.
Manjrekar was of the opinion that the Australian team will try to target him by bowling outside the off-stump, and may even target his body if that plan doesn’t work.
“Edition, they also want to cramp him in that room because he likes to come forward so they are also pitting him in the waist area where they earn him. And that’s what New Zealand did, which is very clever. And then if he is so focused outside off, that typical one of landing a ball on the middle stump which Josh Hazlewood would try,” he added.
Kohli’s form at the moment is also not good. In 19 international matches this year, which includes Tests, ODIs and T20s over all formats, the 80 centuries’ man has been able to score only 488 runs at an insipid average of 20.33, with a mere two fifties in 25 innings and a top score of 76. His failures in Test cricket have been even more worrying considering he used to be a run machine in the format.
Between the years 2016 and 2019, Kohli’s form reached an all-time high, scoring 4,208 runs at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries and 10 fifties included. He also created a record of seven double centuries, with no other captain achieving this in Tests. However, from the year 2020, his form fell down very badly, having scored 1,838 runs in 34 Tests at an average of 31.68, with only two centuries and nine fifties.
