Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has opened up about Virat Kohli’s ongoing struggles with off-stump deliveries during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
Kohli has been struggling to survive the ongoing five-match Test series against Australia, managing just one 50-plus score so far, and that was an unbeaten century in the first Test in Perth.
However, Virat Kohli’s form has dipped since then, and the recent Christmas Day Test at the MCG once again exposed his vulnerability to off-stump deliveries. Kohli scored just 36 and 5 in the two innings, falling to off-stump deliveries in both innings at the MCG.
Sunil Gavaskar highlights Viray Kohli’s off-stump struggles after Boxing Day Test failure
The recurring problem of threading balls to the slips or the wicketkeeper has troubled Kohli for the past four years and has now become a major concern for the Indian team, who suffered a 184-run defeat runs in the fourth test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (MCG) on December 29.
Also Read: ‘Make tough decisions’: Rohit Sharma told to quit and Virat Kohli for Sydney Test
After the Boxing Day Test, Sunil Gavaskar analyzed Virat Kohli’s struggles and technique, pointing out what has gone wrong and offering insights into how the master batsman could overcome this persistent flaw. He has pointed out that Virat’s footwork is a key issue that worries him.
According to the former Indian captain, the icon right-handed batsman’s front foot goes straight down the pitch instead of moving towards the ball, which limits his ability to connect with the middle of the bat and forces him to get the deliveries, and that’s causing their layoffs.
Sunil Gavaskar was quoted by India Today: “(Kohli’s) foot does not go on the pitch; the foot goes straight down the pitch, not towards the ball. If your foot goes more toward the ball, you have a better chance of hitting the ball from the center. Because the foot doesn’t move, you end up catching the ball, and that’s what’s been happening.”
Meanwhile, the legendary Indian batsman slammed India’s top order for their repeated failures in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, barring Yashasvi Jaiswal. He blamed India’s top order for India trailing 1-2 after the Christmas Day Test against Australia in Melbourne.
Also Read: ‘Virat Kohli Should Be Ashamed Of His Numbers’: World Cup Winner’s Sensational Take
Gavaskar stressed that the lower order cannot be blamed for their lack of contributions when the top order is faltering. He noted, “It all depends on the selectors. The contributions that were expected have not come. It is the top order that has to contribute; if the top order is not contributing, why blame the lower order?
India found themselves in this position because of the top order – Sunil Gavaskar
Also, Sunil Gavaskar highlighted that senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had the crucial responsibility of batting on Day 5 during India’s tough chase at the MCG to keep the series alive for the New Year Test , but they didn’t make it, and the team. faced a crushing defeat.
Gavaskar signed off by saying, “The seniors haven’t really made the contribution they should; all they had to do was go out today and live to fight another day in Sydney. It’s just that the first order didn’t contribute, and that’s the reason why India found themselves in this position.”
