Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan shared his candid views on Virat Kohli’s recent performance and discipline at the crease. Pathan did not hold back in his assessment of Kohli, underlining that the veteran batter has repeatedly been dismissed in the same fashion. “Both the seniors (Rohit and Virat) did not meet expectations. They did not meet their own expectations at all. They are making mistakes,” Pathan said on Star Sports, pointing out the underwhelming performances of Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Pathan specifically criticized Kohli’s persistent struggles with shots outside the off-stump. “The shot by Virat Kohli–this is neither the first nor the last time. He is not letting go of the temptation to drive outside the off-stump,” he said.
According to Pathan, this flaw has been a long-standing issue in Kohli’s game. “He has been doing this for many years. Everyone is saying the same thing. Virat Kohli also knows this,” he added.
The former all-rounder questioned why Kohli, known for his disciplined approach to fitness and preparation, could not translate that discipline into his batting. “We all talk about his discipline–why can’t he bring that discipline onto the field?” Pathan asked, highlighting a disconnect between Kohli’s off-field reputation and his on-field execution.
Kohli scored 36 and 5 in the first and second innings, respectively, in the Melbourne Test.
India endured a heavy 184-run defeat in the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday.
Australia dominated India in all facets of the game, even though the match was defined by fine margins. After being pushed around in the first innings, India responded strongly in the second innings.
With a pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, India had Australia on the ropes after reducing the hosts to 91/6. However, a couple of dropped catches and missed chances gave Australia an opportunity to stage a comeback.
Hopes of restricting Australia to a 250-run lead gradually faded, especially after Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland punished a fatigued Indian bowling unit on Day 4. Their 61-run partnership added insult to injury, as Australia set a challenging target of 340 runs for India to chase.
The daunting target played on India’s nerves, particularly after the top order faltered. The first session of the final day proved decisive, leaving India with a disappointing result and allowing Australia to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
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