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Cricket PlayersIND vs SL: Backfoot play pegs back Virat Kohli’s average
The batter fell playing back to spin for the third time in the Test series against Sri Lanka as his wait for a century since late 2019 continued
At the fall of India’s second wicket, Virat Kohli walked in to rousing applause. With Sri Lanka six down at the end of Day 1, the Sunday crowd had come in to see India win and Kohli make amends for missing out on a big score in the first innings.
Due to his Royal Challengers Bangalore connection, every run by Kohli was cheered lustily. He raised their expectations when he danced down the pitch to the seventh ball he faced, launching it over bowler Dhananjaya de Silva’s head for a one-bounce four.
The fans’ joy though was shortlived. On 13, he played back to left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama and was trapped in front by an arm ball which kept low. Like in the first innings, Kohli made the mistake of playing back on a tricky pitch where the pink ball with extra lacquer skidded through at times.
IND vs SL: Virat Kohli hits new career low for first time in 5 years after forgettable Bengaluru pink-ball Test
“What, did he again go on the backfoot?” a disbelieving former India player asked. On a turning track, committing on the back foot is fraught with risk. There is no second line of defence if one went deep into the crease. While the ball has kept low and there is uneven bounce on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch, apart from Kohli no one had got out to a shooter in the match.
Sunday’s dismissal also saw Kohli’s Test batting average slip below the 50 mark (49.95). Kohli is playing his 101st Test, and it was the first time since his his 60th match (Aug, 2017) that the average has come below 50.
Returning to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was expected to spur him on and help get the rhythm back. The viciously turning track of uneven bounce has challenged every batter, but Kohli has struggled for rhythm for almost two years now. It has been 72 innings since he scored a Test 100, which came in the day/night Test against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in November, 2019.
Getting a start has not been a problem. In the first innings here, he looked in good touch on way to 23 when he played back to off-spinner Dhananjaya and fell leg before to a ball that kept low.
In the first Test at Mohali, he made an eye-pleasing 45 before a lack of judgement cost his wicket, playing back instead of forward to a flighted delivery by left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya to be bowled.
The very best batters pride in an average of 50 plus—only Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid among Indian batters finished with that. While Kohli’s class and batting are much more than numbers, this is one statistic that will prick his pride. When he hit his 27th Test hundred, he was being talked of as an all-time great.
India desperately need their talismanic batter to regain confidence ahead of the fifth Test against England, to be played at Edgbaston in June.
INCONSISTENT AGARWAL
Opener Mayank Agarwal was also left to rue the missed opportunity. The last time India played on a difficult spinning track, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Agarwal was the stand out player. Showing correct technique to counter the turn and bounce, he scored a majestic 150 against New Zealand to star in India’s win.
With such competition for the opener’s slot, Agarwal was expected to cash in with KL Rahul absent. But things haven’t gone to plan. He has fallen into a rut like Kohli, unable to capitalise on starts. At his home ground on Sunday, he fell for a brisk 22. Immediately after playing a glorious lofted drive dancing down the pitch to Embuldeniya, he was caught at slip.
In the first innings, he was run out for four after a terrible mix-up with skipper Rohit Sharma on what was later declared a no-ball. He simply took off for a non-existent run and was stranded after being sent back.
At Mohali, he was out for 33. In South Africa , he started brightly with 60 but faded away with scores of 4, 26, 23, 15 and 7.
He got a chance in South Africa because Rohit Sharma was injured, and in this series as Rahul regains fitness. With Shubman Gill and Priyank Panchal waiting for their chance, Agarwal will feel the heat.
