Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar talked about Virat Kohli’s dismissal in the second innings of the ongoing first Test against South Africa in Centurion, saying that the Indian skipper will be disappointed with his shot selection.
Virat Kohli failed to make an impact with the bat in the ongoing Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion. The Indian Test skipper scored only 53 runs. Many expected Virat Kohli to end his century drought and smash his 71st international century in the first Test.
He did get starts in both innings but his poor shot selection led to his downfall as he scored 35 (94) and 18 (32) in the first and second innings respectively.
After Virat Kohli chased a wide-ish half-volley from Lungi Ngidi in the first innings to see him back in the hut, many expected him to come out better in the second innings.
But this wasn’t the case as the Indian skipper yet again chased a wide delivery and only managed an outside edge to Quinton de Kock on the first ball of the second session of Day 4 from Marco Jansen.
Speaking on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar that Virat Kohli would be disappointed with his shot selection in the second innings and stressed that to play a shot like that first ball after lunch on Day 4 was a lapse in concentration by Kohli.
"He would have been disappointed with his shot selection. To play that shot first ball after lunch, I think there was a lapse in concentration. Apart from that, I can't fathom anything else," Sanjay Bangar said.
Bangar pointed out that Virat Kohli is being consistently drawn into the 6th, 7th stump lines and he needs to find a way to deal with deliveries that tempt him to hang his bat outside the off-stump.
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"Kohli being consistently drawn into those wide lines. The attack clearly shows all the balls were in the 6th, 7th stump line, they were not even in the 5th stump line. And that's where whether Virat Kohli can wear the bowlers down or find a way to get the bowlers bowl at him. He needs to find a way to deal with that," he said.
Sanjay Bangar said that South Africa’s game plan for Virat Kohli is to target the 5th, 6th stump and wait for the Indian skipper to make mistake.
"I can show you some of the papers that are lying here, the game plan is exactly the same for Virat Kohli. It never changed. That's exactly the area that the South African are going to target the 5th, 6th stump and hang it out there and wait for Virat to make a mistake," he said.
The Indian Test skipper since 2020 has scored only 599 runs in 13 matches at an average of 26.04. His last century in international cricket came in November 2019.
(Star Sports inputs)
