NEWS
Follow UsVirat Kohli is undergoing a lean patch in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia. After scoring a fine century in the first Test in Perth, Kohli managed scores of 7, 11 and 3 across Adelaide and Gabba. Overall, the right-hander has averaged just 25 in 2024 across nine Tests.
Kohli has often fished outside off stump, which has led to his downfall in all the matches, which is something he potentially needs to work on. Former Australia skipper Greg Chappell feels that Kohli should "rekindle his youth" and believes that, if he does that, there's no reason the veteran cannot reinvent himself.
“The only cure that I know is to rekindle the thinking of your youth. That is easier to say than to do, but it does work. Confidence is an emotion – so if you can recreate that, there is no reason why you can’t reinvent yourself," Chappell wrote in his column in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Chappell also believes that Kohli should look to reach 20-30, which, from a psychological point of view, could make a difference. “Reaching a score of 20 or 30 acts as a psychological turning point, helping them regain the confidence and fluency of their prime," he wrote.
Kohli's dip in form is nothing new, given the struggles some of the greats, such as Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, have gone through in their careers.
“The first visible sign of EPDS [Elite Performance Decline Syndrome] is a subtle but unmistakable shift in a player’s approach at the crease," he wrote.
"Kohli, once renowned for his domineering starts, has in recent years shown a tendency to begin tentatively. Much like Tendulkar and Ponting before him, Kohli seems to need a buffer – a score of 20 or 30 – before he can rediscover his flow."
The five-match Test series between India and Australia is currently level at 1-1 after three matches. The crucial fourth Test in Melbourne will get underway from December 26 (Thursday) onwards.
