Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour came up with some crucial suggestions for skipper Virat Kohli after he finished yet another year without scoring a century in any international format of the game.
Kohli's last international century came in November 2019 against Bangladesh in the Kolkata test and in the ongoing Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion – his final outing of 2021 – he could only manage 35 and 18.
The right-hander had been getting caught behind or in the slips while trying to lunge into cover drives and off-drives, but Rathour believes that merely curbing a certain stroke isn't the solution, and Kohli must continue playing drives, but he needs to pick better balls.
Rathour said: “These are shots which bring him (Kohli) lots of runs and it's his scoring shot. He needs to play that shot and I think it is always your strength that turns out to be your weakness as well.”
He further explained, “If you don't play a certain shot, you will never get out playing that shot. You will never score runs as well. Now, when to play that shot, that's the part there are constant discussions.
Was it right all and right stage to play that shot? If we can tighten up our game plans a little more, that will be better. So that's the shot he (Kohli) plays well and he needs to carry on playing that shot but he needs to pick better balls.”
Meanwhile, the batting coach also spoke about another struggling senior duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, saying they both are giving their hundred percent and called for patience for the two.
Rathour further said, “They (Pujara and Rahane) are trying their best, giving their best. Rahane looked in really good touch before he got out. So has Pujara. He has played some important innings in the past. You see these are challenging conditions for everybody.”
He signed off by saying, “You need to be patient, and as long as they are trying their best and giving their best, as coaching unit we are fine, how much time they get or are we getting impatient, not at this stage.”
(With PTI Inputs)
