Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar advised Virat Kohli to address his struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. Sunil Gavaskar said that Virat Kohli should revisit ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar’s disciplined approach in the 2004 Sydney Test match.
The 36-year-old was dismissed for 3 runs off 16 balls in the first innings of the third Test at the Gabba on Monday, December 16. Kohli tried to play with a disciplined approach but edged a wide delivery from Josh Hazlewood in the eighth over. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey took the catch, leaving India at 22/3.
The Mindset Is Completely Different – Sunil Gavaskar
Australia has exploited Kohli’s vulnerability to deliveries outside the off-stump throughout the series. Speaking to the broadcasters, Sunil Gavaskar said that the pressure in matches is different from practice, as one mistake can lead to dismissal.
“Yes, I think practice is different, but what happens in the middle is different. The mindset is completely different. What happens in practice is, you know, if you play a bad shot, you can get away with it. But in the match, if you are out, you are out,” Gavaskar said.
What I Think Virat Kohli Can Do Is Maybe Have a Look – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar said that Virat Kohli should take inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar’s approach during the 2004 Sydney Test. Gavaskar said that Sachin focused on playing shots straight down the ground or to the leg side and added that such mental control could help Kohli overcome similar issues.
“What I think Kohli can do is maybe have a look at what Sachin Tendulkar did way back in 2004. In the first three Test matches, he got out playing for the line outside the off-stump. He got caught at slips, short gully. When he came to Sydney, he decided he was not going to play anything in the cover region.”
“He played only between the bowler’s follow-through and to the right of the mid-off fielder, and everything else on the other side. That’s the resolve. He hardly played a cover drive; I think only after getting to 200-220 did he play one. That is the kind of mind control you should be having,” Gavaskar added.
Virat Kohli Caught Behind in All Four Dismissals in BGT 2024-25
Virat Kohli has been dismissed in the BGT 2024-25 series by getting caught behind or in the slip cordon in all four innings, with scores of 5, 7, 11, and 3. However, the right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 100 runs in the second innings series opener in Perth, where India secured a 295-run victory.
Sachin Tendulkar was facing similar issues with the bat outside off stump in the first three Tests of the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, he completely avoided the cover drive in the Sydney Test’s final match. This helped him score a remarkable unbeaten 241 from 436 balls in the match.
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