NEWS
Follow UsVirat Kohli had a horrible Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 and it happened despite him getting a hundred in the first Test at Perth. More than seeing him getting out, it was the sameness of his dismissal that got former India batter turned cricket pundit, Sanjay Manjrekar analysing his dismissals.
Manjrekar was right as Kohli got out to Scott Boland on four occasions, that is in all four out of six innings that Boland bowled in this series, he was able to get Kohli.
“Lots of greats have gone through a rut, but not in the fashion where they've got out to one particular shot and the great has not been able to find a way,” Manjrekar said in a post-match show on Star Sports.
“If you see that [fourth innings in Sydney Test] dismissal you've got to feel for Virat Kohli. There were occasions when he was trying to leave balls outside the off on this occasion, after many years, you see that he's deep inside the batting crease,” he added.
Out of his 38 dismissals against pace since January 1, 2020, Kohli has been out 20 times on deliveries bowled at good length (6-8 m), which are also the deliveries that leave him after pitching on middle and off and he compulsively fishes at them more often than not.
In this series, he even tried to get back into the crease, which shows that there is self-doubt in the modern-day master’s mind.
“He's gone back and he's inside the batting crease. Now that is a very rare thing for Virat Kohli to do. You know, Virat Kohli loves getting outside the batting crease going forward. He's tried everything within his capabilities and on this occasion, he tried being inside the batting crease, the same result.
“Mark (Nicholas) makes a good point about him now having clear self-doubt with what has happened and with the sameness of the end for every innings,” said Manjrekar.
