NEW DELHI: As India gear up for the much anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy – a five-Test series for the first time since 1991-92 – the pressure will be on Virat Kohli to strike form.
Kohli has averaged merely 22.72 in six matches in 2024, the lowest in his career.
The 36-year-old has scored just one fifty this year – 70 against New Zealand in the second innings of the first Test at Bengaluru, while his last Test century came in July 2023 against the West Indies.
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The official broadcaster of the series shared a clip of a show where former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar talks about the Aussies gameplan against Virat Kohli.
Manjrekar says, “Virat knows exactly what’s going to be planned. They’ll obviously start with that line outside the off-stump and gauge what his mood is. Generally these days he looks to leave balls outside the off-stump and if they have anything that’s pitched right up, he’ll look to drive.”
Kohli scored 93 runs in the India’s humiliating 0-3 Test series loss to New Zealand at home and the Aussies would be looking to keep his poor form going.
Manjrekar continues, “Nowadays, they are also trying to cramp him for room and attack his body because he loves to get forward so much. So that is something New Zealand tried, which is very smart. And then if he is so focused outside off, that typical one of landing a ball on middle stump which Josh Hazlewood would try. So all those methods will be tried by the Australians and Virat Kohli is aware of that.”
With India set to play the first Test in Perth from November 22, Kohli can hope to strike form from the word go.
Kohli has till now played two Tests in Perth – one at the WACA in which he scored 44 and 75 in the two innings in January 2012 which Australia won by an innings and 37 runs.
The second Test that Kohli played in Perth was as captain in 2018 and he became the first batsman to score a Test hundred at the new Perth stadium as he scored his 25th Test century at the age of 30.
India need to win 4 Tests in Australia to directly qualify for the World Test Championships final that is scheduled to be held at Lord’s in June 2025.
