Former India cricketers Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Murali Kartik analysed Virat Kohli’s dismissal in the 2nd ODI against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Kohli, who hasn’t been at his best of late, was once again out flashing outside the off-stump to a medium pacer. Odean Smith, who came into the West Indies XI after regular captain Kieron Pollard was unavailable due to a niggle, gave India a body blow by picking the wickets of Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli in the same over. While Pant was out trying heave a delivery from way outside the off stump, Kohli edged a wide one to the keeper in the last ball of the 12th over. Edging the ball to the slip cordon while chasing fuller length deliveries outside the off stump, has been one of the most common modes of dismissals for the former India captain.
Analysing Kohli’s dismissal, former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan said the lack of firm footing brought the right-hander’s downfall.
“No firm footing there from Virat Kohli. He generally gets his front foot planted in a very good position but not that time around. That delivery was on ideal length. A little bit of stutter with the footwork (was also there),” Sivaramakrishnan said in commentary.
Former India left-arm spinner Murali Kartik said Kohli is perhaps trying too hard to “boss the opposition”.
“He’s too classy a player… The runs will come… Just the mindset and the decision making in the last couple of years (has been indifferent). These are not the shots you will see him playing in the early part of his innings. It seems as if he wants to boss the opposition because he has been doing that for 13-14 years,” Kartik said.
“I think he has bossed that much around because he has played on the merit of the ball. It was not coming out of compulsion. He didn’t used to get out there with the mood to attack everything. You go in with a reputation but then you play according to the merit of the ball. If your intuition is to attack then you are going to present an opportunity to the bowler,” Sivaramakrishnan added.
Kohli, who is no longer captain in form of the game, has not scored a century for close to two and half years now. The last time the talismanic right-hander got to three figures was back in November 2019 in a day night Test against Bangladesh.
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While Kohli has been scoring fifties at regular intervals in ODIs, it’s the match-winning innings that has been missing from his bat.
Meanwhile, India won the second ODI thanks to a fiery bowling spell by Prasidh Krishna and with that they also sealed the three-match series 2-0. The final ODI will be played on Friday in Ahmedabad.
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