Virat Kohli’s struggles with red-ball cricket continued as he was dismissed cheaply in the intra-squad simulation match at the WACA Stadium in Perth on Friday. As part of India’s preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Series, the team played a simulation match to mimic the conditions of the first Test in Perth, which will take place at Optus Stadium.
The pitch at Optus Stadium is expected to offer extra bounce and seam movement, so India is simulating similar conditions at the WACA. While Yashasvi Jaiswal looked solid at the crease, he played a rash shot and got dismissed for just 15 runs. Kohli, on the other hand, appeared comfortable in the conditions early on, playing some stylish cover drives. However, his eagerness to chase deliveries outside the off stump led to his downfall.
Mukesh Kumar bowled a length ball outside off, and Kohli nicked it to the second slip, where the fielder took a sharp catch. Despite showing promise, Kohli’s old issues with deliveries outside the off-stump resurfaced, leading to another failure.
The pressure is mounting on Kohli after a disappointing home summer against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Though he looked solid against Bangladesh, he struggled against New Zealand, managing just one fifty-plus score and failing to score a century in the series. Critics have even suggested he consider retiring after the Border-Gavaskar Series. However, Kohli’s impressive record in Australia, where the conditions suit his batting style, offers hope that he can rediscover his form and return to his run-scoring ways.
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