Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
Virat Kohli came to Adelaide as the highest run-getter at the venue, across formats, among visiting batsmen in international cricket. With 975 runs in 17 innings before the second ODI between India and Australia, he towered over the likes of Vivian Richards, Brian Lara and Gordon Greenidge. In his 18th innings at Adelaide Oval, his happy hunting ground, the former India captain perished for a four-ball duck. For two innings in a row in the ongoing series, he hasn’t troubled the scorers.
Kohli was leg-before to Xavier Bartlett – a delivery that jagged back and skidded off a length. His middle-and-off guard has made him vulnerable to LBWs of late, especially on pitches with a bit of life. He was so plumb that he didn’t even go upstairs and left after a brief chat with Rohit Sharma, the non-striker.
With the deliveries in the corridor becoming his bugbear — the edges to the ‘keeper and the slip cordon — Kohli tinkered with his technique. Bowlers bowl Test-match length to him these days even in the IPL. Kohli tried to counter the ‘corridor problem’ by taking an off-stump guard. The idea is that he would play the deliveries that are in his eyeline and will leave everything which is outside it. This is applicable in the 50-over format also, during the early part of his innings.
The problem is that the approach makes him a candidate for LBW. On slower and lower subcontinent pitches, he gets time to adjust. The spicy Australian decks don’t allow that leeway. Bowlers try to test his defence by bringing one back into him after setting him up with the deliveries in the channel. Bartlett stuck to the template.
As Kohli walked back to the pavilion, he was applauded off the field, and the Indian master acknowledged the crowd. Somehow it felt like an Australian farewell tour.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news