It was yet another heartbreak for Team India in the final of the World Test Championship; the side conceded a 209-run loss to Australia at The Oval on Sunday. India were bowled out on 234 in the 444-run chase, losing all remaining seven wickets in the opening sesssion of the day. The batting collapse was particularly disappointing because India had made a strong finish to day 4 with both unbeaten batters – Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane – looking in solid touch.
The collapse began merely half-an-hour into the start of play on Day 5 when Virat Kohli chased a delivery wide outside the off-stump against Scott Boland. The 34-year-old batter went for an audacious drive but couldn't find the middle of the bat, as the thick edge carried to Steve Smith at slip. The Australia star made no mistake as he took an excellent diving catch, cutting short Kohli's knock; the batter was only a run away from his 29th half-century.
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Kohli was visibly disappointed with his dismissal, and it seemed, so was former India captain Sunil Gavaskar who didn't mince his words in his severe criticism of the star batter. Following the end of the match, Gavaskar – visibly upset with the team's performance – had a no-holds-barred reaction to Kohli's shot selection.
“It was a bad shot. It was an ordinary shot. You're asking me about it, I think you should ask Kohli. What was that shot? That was a shot outside the off-stump. We talked so much about the fact that to win a match, you need a long innings. You need a century-plus innings. How are you going to play a century-plus innings if you're going to play a shot so far outside the off-stump,” Gavaskar said.
{{/usCountry}}“It was a bad shot. It was an ordinary shot. You're asking me about it, I think you should ask Kohli. What was that shot? That was a shot outside the off-stump. We talked so much about the fact that to win a match, you need a long innings. You need a century-plus innings. How are you going to play a century-plus innings if you're going to play a shot so far outside the off-stump,” Gavaskar said.
{{/usCountry}}Watch his scathing assessment below:
In the same segment, Gavaskar also said that Indian batters erred persistently around their personal landmarks, citing a pattern.
Speaking further about Kohli's dismissal, he said, “It was a pretty ordinary shot. Outside the off stump. He was leaving till then. Maybe he was conscious that he needed one run to reach his half century. It happens when you are nearing a milestone.”