Virat Kohli’s poor run of form in Test cricket continued despite hopes of him scoring runs against his favorite opponents Australia, the dashing India batter failed in the first Test of the BGT 2024, which got underway in Perth on November 22, 2024.
After India captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and opted to bat first, India lost a bunch of early wickets with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal scoring ducks, while KL Rahul was dismissed in controversial fashion for 26 runs.
Virat Kohli looked solid but then was dismissed when Josh Hazlewood got a ball to bounce and hit the shoulder of his bat as the India star was trying to defend on the front foot. Kohli had to walk back to the pavilion for just 5 runs.
India could only manage to score 150 runs with Nitish Reddy (41) and Rishabh Pant (37) being the main scorers.
With many issues raised about Kohli's form and technique against the red ball in recent months, a failure to bowl the short ball is a new problem. Former Indian opener Sanjay Manjrekar observed Kohli's apparent problem with shorter deliveries.
“It’s something I’ve said before as well, post [2023] Virat Kohli has been very concerned about that ball pitched up, Jimmy Anderson kind, outside the off stump. So he stands outside the batting crease and wants to get onto the front foot to nullify the swing. But now bowlers are bowling shorter to him because of that,” Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.
Kohli is coming off a terrible outing in the home Test series against New Zealand, where he scored only 93 runs in six innings.
Manjrekar explained that his frailties against bouncing deliveries were exposed earlier during that series as well. Manjrekar also credited Hazlewood for detecting a shift in Kohli's style and adjusting his length as a result, creating the ideal trap for the Indian great.
“We saw that in the Bangalore Test match, New Zealand bowlers doing that and Virat Kohli getting out on the leg side. Josh Hazlewood was generally fuller, 60% of balls in the full area, but the moment Virat Kohli started doing this, he went a little short,” Manjrekar stated.
Manjrekar remarked that Kohli's premeditated front-foot approach leaves him vulnerable to being bowled in this manner and that he is not especially suited to the extra bounce and seam movement that is common in Australia in particular.
“So basically he’s put all his eggs in one basket, Kohli, which is about not getting out on the front foot, to that swinging full-length ball. But that’s now making him a little vulnerable to all other deliveries, especially the one that is shorter,” concluded Manjrekar.
However, despite being bowled out for 150, led by skipper Jasprit Bumrah’s spirited performance, India managed to reduce Australia to 67/7 at stumps on day one. Bumrah picked 4/17, while Mohammed Siraj took two wickets, debutant Harshit Rana also took one wicket.
