Kohli scored only 16 runs in second ODI against England.
Former Indian wicket-keeper batter Saba Karim on Friday (15th July) pointed out flaws in Virat Kohli’s technique. He said that the right-hander needs a little more concentration and stronger willpower to emerge from this phase.
The talk around Kohli’s form is just increasing day by day. The 33-year-old has not been in the best of form lately, having last scored an international ton in 2019. Many have even started to question his place in the Indian side.
After having poor outings in the one-off Test and T20I series against England, many felt that ODI will be the best format for him to find his mojo back. But this wasn’t the case as it was yet another failure for him in the second ODI.
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Kohli missed the first match due to a groin injury and returned for the second game. It was a perfect stage for him to regain his form as India had already lost skipper Rohit Sharma for a 10-ball duck while chasing 247 runs.
He did look good at the start as he smashed three wonderful boundaries to raise the excitement but it turned out to be in what has been his story of late as after getting a start, he perishes.
Kohli scored 16 runs in 25 balls before he chased a good length delivery wide of off from David Willey and only managed an edge to see his side in trouble.
Speaking on Sony Sports, Saba Karim said that Kohli needs to concentrate more to emerge from this phase. He highlighted how the former Indian skipper has undergone this phase several times.
"I feel he needs a little more concentration and stronger willpower to emerge from this phase. This story has been repeated by Virat Kohli many times. That is why we have been saying how good he looks, he is in good form, but the search for the big score is still there,” Saba Karim said.
Highlighting Kohli’s speciality of playing close to his body, Karim said that these days the right-hander is flirting with the balls outside off-stump, which has led to his downfall.
“Kohli's speciality has always been that he allows the ball to come close to his body and then he plays his shots. But the way he has been getting out, the way he got out today as well, the ball was too far outside the off-stump and he tried to flirt with it and the result was that he got out again," he said.
Karim suspects that the opposition fast-bowlers are setting up Kohli with full deliveries before pulling their lengths back. He said the batter needs to change his game plan to adapt to the challenge.
"I am seeing a pattern in Virat Kohli's dismissals, what happens before that. We saw in the Test matches that he played fantastic drives off the front foot, so are bowlers setting him up like that?
"They first pitch it up to him, so that he commits himself on the front foot and then shorten the length slightly and then get a wicket there. It is necessary for Virat Kohli to understand this and then find a solution for it. You can emerge from this phase if you are ready to bring a change in your game plan," he said.
Kohli will be next seen in action during the third ODI against England and would be hoping to return to form. The right-hander has been rested from the upcoming ODI and T20I series against West Indies, beginning July 22.
(Sony Sports inputs)