‘When you drop such dollies, the ball looks like a bomb’: Ajay Jadeja explains why Virat Kohli is dropping sitters

India vs Australia: Ajay Jadeja, considered an exceptional fielder himself back in the day, explained the reason behind Kohli’s lapses, believing it’s the easy ones that seem to be troubling the India captain.

The India-Australia series hasn’t been the most memorable for Virat Kohli. Not for his batting though. With the bat, Kohli has dazzled with a couple of half-centuries, but it’s his fielding that has casted a shadow over the India captain. Kohli, considered one of the best fielders in world cricket, has put down a couple of easy catches in back-to-back games for India.

Virat Kohli has been a butter-fingered with his fielding this series. (Getty Images)

In Canberra, Kohli put down D Arcy Short at cover and on Sunday in Sydney, the India captain put down yet another chance which should be considered as the simplest of catches of Matthew Wade, although he did make up for the miss by running the batsman out off the same delivery. Former India batsman Ajay Jadeja, considered an exceptional fielder himself back in the day, explained the reason behind Kohli’s lapses, believing it’s the easy ones that seem to be troubling the India captain.

“Virat Kohli over the years we’ve seen he’s taken some exceptional catches,” Jadeja said on the Sony Sports Network. “When he has time to think, I think sometimes things do go downhill. In the last match, he had ample time, it’s got nothing to do with fitness. He’s just there waiting, waiting and waiting. I think at that point if time, the hand came in between him and that ball.”

Kohli was at cover again when Wade chipped a ball from Washington Sundar to him. Kohli juggled the ball, once, twice and thrice before it fell on the ground. Expecting the catch to be taken, Wade was on his way back to the dugout, which allowed Kohli to quickly gather himself and throw the ball back to KL Rahul, who ran the Australia captain out. Pointing out the miss, Jadeja added it’s important for Kohli to keep focus otherwise these simple catches tend to look a lot tougher.

“Today, I think he had time but he was off balanced when he was just about to catch it. And these things happen. When you start dropping them, even these dollies, then, the ball appears like a bomb coming towards you,” Jadeja said.