Virat Kohli’s much-awaited return to international cricket went about as poorly as it could have, as he fell for an eight-ball duck at the Optus Stadium in Perth. After nearly 8 months away from the international game, Kohli fell to his old enemy – the drive outside the off-stump catching an edge and being caught behind the wicket.
While Kohli’s first top-level match since the IPL final earns him a little bit of a reprieve in terms of criticism he faces, it was still a concerning sign that Kohli fell in such a manner to Mitchell Starc. His wicket was a key early breakthrough that allowed the Aussies to ramp up the pressure enroute to a comfortable win.
A better performance from the Indian legend will be needed if he wants to will his team back into the series, in what has become a do-or-die contest at the Adelaide Oval. However, he received backing from a former Indian batting coach, as Abhishek Nayar put his weight behind Kohli ‘coming into his zone’ and scoring some runs in his favourite format.
Speaking on Star Sports, Nayar reflected on the time he spent working with Kohli in a coaching capacity. “Whatever time I have spent with him, he knows how to play in one way only, with passion and aggression. He will back himself,” said Nayar of the mentality that Kohli will take into the next game despite his time away from top-level cricket.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking on Star Sports, Nayar reflected on the time he spent working with Kohli in a coaching capacity. “Whatever time I have spent with him, he knows how to play in one way only, with passion and aggression. He will back himself,” said Nayar of the mentality that Kohli will take into the next game despite his time away from top-level cricket.
{{/usCountry}}Regarding his off-stump weakness, Nayar claimed it is something he will fight through, given the high-risk high-reward nature of that particular shot. “There will be a lot of discussions about him playing deliveries outside the off-stump. He will go back and visualise. He will meditate and come into his zone,” explained Nayar.
What Rohit and Gill need to do to help out Kohli
“I always believe that you don’t prepare for failure but for success. Whomever you ask, they will say that when Virat comes, the attempt will be to bowl back of the length outside off-stump, with short balls in between. Virat and the opposition know that,” said Nayar, backing Kohli to adapt and find the solutions.
Further, Nayar explained that if India want to get the best out of Kohli at the Adelaide Oval, it would be essential that he gets a good strong platform from his opening batters, who themselves fell cheaply in Perth.
"If Virat comes to bat after Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have scored 70 runs in the first 10 overs, the case is different. If he comes at the start, the case is different. It's about execution and handling pressure,” explained Nayar.
India’s bid to level the series against Australia will take place at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.