Virat Kohli has come under severe criticism for his flop show during India’s first innings of the second Test against New Zealand at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Friday (October 25).
The star batter managed to score only 1 run before getting knocked over by Mitchell Santner’s straight delivery. He went for a cross-batted shot as the low full toss sneaked under his bat to hit the stumps.
Speaking on Sports18, legendary India spinner Anil Kumble suggested that Kohli should have played domestic cricket before the long 10-match Test season.
Notably, Kohli has failed to live up to the expectations in the ongoing home Test season so far. The right-hander amassed only 99 runs at an average of 24.75 in the preceding two-Test series against Bangladesh, while he returned with scores of 0 and 70 in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru.
"Perhaps just one or two innings in a match situation could have helped. Being in an actual game is definitely more beneficial than just practice; it gives an upper hand. If he feels that playing earlier would have benefited him, and the team management agrees, then maybe it would have. However, I don't think we can look at that as the only reason for his struggles against spin," Kumble said.
Kohli’s underwhelming display in the ongoing home season has seen his Test average further dipping to 48.48. He currently has 9018 runs to his name from 117 Tests, including 29 hundreds.
Kumble highlighted that the conditions, particularly in India, have favored spin in recent years, posing another layer of challenge for Kohli.
"When he's come to the crease, the pitches have often favored spin, which is a significant factor. His challenges against spin at the start of his innings haven't been solely due to mindset but also conditions that aided spinners. This contributed to the dismissals of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli to the left-arm spin of Glenn Phillips, who was brought on as a strategic move. Even the best modern-day batters find these situations tricky," he remarked.
Coming to the second Test, India’s first innings folded for a paltry 156 on Day as they conceded a significant lead of 103 runs.
Having lost the Bengaluru Test, India are already trailing 0-1 in the three-match. The hosts need to pull up their socks in the second essay if they are to avoid a Test series loss on home soil for the first time since 2012.
