NEW DELHI: Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has come to the defense of Virat Kohli following the batter’s dismissal in the second Test against Australia in Adelaide, which sparked criticism over his technique on pitches with pace and bounce. Kohli’s dismissal mirrored his Perth Test wicket, raising questions about his adaptability.
In Adelaide, Kohli fell to a rising delivery from Mitchell Starc outside off stump, edging to the slips after being caught in two minds. Despite a century in the second innings of the first Test, his struggles on bouncy pitches have drawn attention, with former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar attributing his dropping Test average to a reluctance to adjust his technique.
Scorecard: India vs Australia, 2nd Test
Gavaskar, however, dismissed concerns, emphasizing Kohli’s track record and experience. “The man has got more than 9000 Test runs batting with the same technique. He has got out twice, so what? He has 30 hundreds. He knows how to bat,” Gavaskar said on JioCinema after Day 1.
Highlighting Kohli’s high back lift as a factor, Gavaskar added, “It is so that you can’t bring it down in time to let the ball harmlessly pass. But the man wasn’t lucky in Perth or this time around. There’s plenty of time left in this series.”
Watch: Virat Kohli’s dismissal
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden offered a technical analysis, noting Kohli’s contrasting approaches. “In Perth, he was decisive in his movements and played the ball down the ground. Here in Adelaide, he stayed off-side of the ball. On tricky pitches, getting close to the ball is key,” Hayden observed.
With the series still in progress, Gavaskar urged patience, pointing to Kohli’s proven ability to adapt and deliver under pressure.
We can get back in the game with a few tweaks: Ryan ten Doeschate