India’s star batter Virat Kohli had a tough time in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, raising concerns about his Test cricket form. Although he scored a century in the first Test of the five-match series, which India lost 1-3, Kohli couldn’t perform well in the remaining matches. He ended the series with just 190 runs in nine innings, averaging 23.75, leading to doubts about his ability to handle tough conditions.
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel expressed his disappointment over Kohli’s repeated dismissals in a similar way, particularly against Scott Boland, who dismissed him four times in the series. “It’s very disappointing that you got out in the same style eight times in the series,” Patel said on Cricbuzz. “Scott Boland dismissed him four times. It’s surprising for a player like Kohli. Great players always find a way; they don’t let such patterns continue for long. But sadly, Kohli allowed it this time.”
Kohli’s ongoing struggle with deliveries outside off-stump has been a concern for some years. Patel noted that Kohli’s red-ball average has dropped over the past five years. “He has been scoring at an average of 25-30 for five years now. It’s a long period, and the way he has been getting out outside off-stump is very surprising and disappointing,” Patel added.
Kohli vs Boland in BGT 2024-25
- Innings: 5
- Runs: 28
- Balls Faced: 68
- Dismissals: 4
Australian pacer Scott Boland shared their plan to target Kohli’s tendency to chase deliveries outside off-stump. “Kohli feels like he leaves a lot early on, but once he settles, he looks to play those balls. So, we adjust to the fifth-stump line when he’s set, and it’s working right now,” Boland said.
Patel criticized Kohli’s inability to tackle this predictable plan, emphasizing that the errors seemed to come from Kohli himself. “It’s not even Australia’s plan; it’s Kohli’s mistakes. Bowlers know they just need to stay patient and keep bowling in that area. The mistakes are coming from Kohli,” Patel said.
Patel also mentioned that Kohli’s well-known mental strength appeared to falter in the series. “Everyone knows the problem, including Kohli, but the mental discipline he is famous for didn’t work this time. That’s why it’s so disappointing,” Patel concluded.
