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Virat Kohli's form dubbed irrelevant as Arshdeep Singh backs ex-skipper to master ODIs again: ‘Don’t know how he feels…’
Following a disappointing outing in Perth, Virat Kohli now faces immense pressure to deliver in the remaining two matches.
Batting maestro Virat Kohli has been put under the scanner once again after registering a duck against Australia in Perth in the series opener. Kohli made a return to international cricket after seven months, but it didn't turn out as planned, and he lasted for just eight balls in the middle and bagged a duck. It was once again the outside off-stump channel where Kohli got trapped as in the attempt to break the shackles, he went uppish and got caught at the point.
Meanwhile, the batting maestro got the backing from his teammate Arshdeep Singh after the first ODI. The young pacer backed Kohli to bounce back strongly after his low score in Perth, hailing the veteran’s unmatched experience and class in ODIs.
“Form is just a word for him. He has played more than 300 ODIs for India. He knows how to get going,” Arshdeep said. “It’s a blessing to share the dressing room with him. Going forward in the series, I feel there will be a lot of runs for him. Talking about this format, he has mastered it. I don’t know how he feels about it personally, maybe I will ask him and let you know at the next press conference.”
After retiring from Tests and T20Is to focus on the 2027 World Cup, the former captain returned to India’s ODI setup post-Champions Trophy triumph in March. Following a disappointing outing in Perth, he now faces immense pressure to deliver in the remaining two matches.
"Repeated rain breaks disturbed India batters' concentration": Arsdheep
Referring to the innings of KL Rahul and Axar Patel, Arshdeep mentioned that the surface was fairly good for batting once players got their eye in. Still, he admitted that repeated breaks in play disturbed the momentum, making it tough for batters to stay composed and carry on smoothly.
"It was a good wicket if you spent some time on it. We saw the partnership between KL and Axar. The runs were coming. But it was important to spend time on the wicket. But the start and stop was happening. So it's difficult to keep the concentration for the batter. And the credit also goes to them. They bowled from a good area. They got a lot of help from the wicket. And where the credit is due, they should also go. They have bowled well," Arshdeep added.
