By the time Virat Kohli returned from England, a tour defined by his nervy prods that resulted in a disastrous couple of months, his reputation as one of India’s finest talent had taken a big hit.
Desperate to avoid a repeat of the tour, where he averaged an embarrassing 13.40 in the Tests and 18.00 in the ODIs, Kohli has made a dash to Mumbai. On a request from the 25-year-old, Sachin Tendulkar was present to guide the Delhi batsman, who started his Mumbai stint on Thursday.
Kohli toiled under the watchful eyes of Tendulkar at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s indoor facility in Bandra-Kurla Complex for a couple of hours. “Virat was here for an intense session today. Sachin was present too. He is going to come in for practice over the next two-three days as well,” Lalchand Rajput, batting coach of BCCI's special academy who was present at the venue, told HT.
TENTATIVE PROD
Kohli pushing forward to England’s pacers only to be caught behind was a common sight in England. On Thursday, Rajput marked out an off-stump line for Mumbai’s under-23 pacers to stick to while bowling to the India batsman.
Batting on the fastest wicket available at the academy, Kohli was not the most comfortable to start with. While the session was on, Tendulkar would switch from the umpire’s position to sitting on the adjoining pitch, handing out constant advice to the young batsman.
{{/usCountry}}Batting on the fastest wicket available at the academy, Kohli was not the most comfortable to start with. While the session was on, Tendulkar would switch from the umpire’s position to sitting on the adjoining pitch, handing out constant advice to the young batsman.
{{/usCountry}}From Kohli’s stance to his movement before facing a delivery and even the studs he wore, everything was discussed by Tendulkar.
“Since Virat had time, he felt he could come and just stay in touch. He worked on his off-stump game. We will have a better idea about how his form is in a couple of days, though international players don’t take time,” Rajput added.
India discard Yuvraj Singh too dropped in to practice against spinners at the academy.