IND vs SA Live: Can Virat do a Sachin? – India’s Test skipper Virat Kohli doesn’t agree, at least publicly, that he is enduring a poor run of form. He calls it “outside noise”. But stats don’t lie and neither video footage. The 1st Test against South Africa in Centurion was proof. He was dismissed trying to drive in both innings. That raises the question, can he resist the temptation of a drive in Cape Town — like Sachin Tendulkar did in Sydney on the 2003-04 tour? Follow India vs South Africa Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 241 in Sydney without playing a single cover-drive, his favourite and signature shot. The reason? He was dismissed in the previous four innings trying to play the drive. In that 241-run knock, he smashed 33 boundaries but none with his favourite cover drive.
IND vs SA Live: Can Virat do a Sachin? Experts suggest Virat can take cue from Sachin Tendulkar’s book- Check how?
IND vs SA Live: Can Virat do a Sachin? Experts suggest Virat can take cue from Sachin Tendulkar’s book- Check how?
Virat Kohli has suffered the same fate as the legend, Sachin Tendulkar. His cover drives are one of the most destructive shots in his arsenal but he has nicked it to the slip and wicket-keeper way too many times in his last 10 innings. In fact out of 34 caught-behinds, the most happened in the last 12 months.
Sunil Gavaskar recalled Sachin Tendulkar’s determination not to hit a shot on the offside and advised Kohli to take a leaf out of his book and implement the same.
“It would be fantastic if he calls Sachin Tendulkar up and just check up with him on how he curbed his off-side shots in the year 2003-04 against Australia. He was getting out caught in covers or caught behind and then, in the fourth Test match, he decided he’s not going to play through covers. He was only going to play through mid-on or maybe straighter and on the on side. And what did he end up with? 241 not out in the first innings,” said Gavaskar.
IND vs SA Live: Can Virat do a Sachin? Experts suggest Virat can take cue from Sachin Tendulkar’s book- Check how?
IND vs SA Live: Can Virat do a Sachin? Experts suggest Virat can take cue from Sachin Tendulkar’s book- Check how?
However, Virat Kohli doesn’t seem to resist the temptation to play on the off-side. During the practice on Sunday and Monday, he continued to play his favourite shot that came exactly from the middle with a sweet sound. But that may not be the case in the 3rd Test in Cape Town. Against a quality bowling attack like South Africa, Virat Kohli must improvise.
Virat Kohli no more World No 1:
- India Test skipper Kohli last slammed his international ton on November 22, 2019, against Bangladesh.
- His century drought has lasted 25 innings, spanning 780 days (Monday, Jan 10).
- In 14 matches since his last century, Virat Kohli has averaged 26.08 scoring only 652 runs without any ton in Test cricket.
- Most of his dismissals have come from trying to play the cover drive including in both innings of the 1st Test against SA.
IND vs SA Live: Can Virat do a Sachin? Experts suggest Virat can take cue from Sachin Tendulkar’s book- Check how?
Virat Kohli in Tests and ODIs since his last century
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 |
| Test | 14 | 25 | 0 | 652 | 74 | 26.08 | 1499 | 43.49 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| ODI | 15 | 15 | 0 | 649 | 89 | 43.26 | 702 | 92.45 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
IND vs SA Live: Can Virat do a Sachin? Experts suggest Virat can take cue from Sachin Tendulkar’s book- Check how?
However, former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes it is just a matter of time and one hundred to unlock many.
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𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞 – 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢.👌 👌#TeamIndia | #SAvIND | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/ChFOPzTT6q
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 10, 2022
“I don’t see any technical fault in Virat’s innings. It’s just his mental mistake. He repeats a mistake and gets out. He looks very much in control until he plays that one shot. I think everyone goes through such phases. He has 70 hundreds in international cricket and that says a lot. We saw Sachin as well when he got stuck on 99th hundred. Virat is also going through the same phase,” Wasim Jaffer told InsideSport.
“Once he gets one hundred, I believe many will come. We have seen this pattern with him. The 3rd Test will be the biggest stage for him to get that going. The series is on the line and if he gets his century there, it is going to be the biggest thing,” Jaffer added.
IND vs SA Live: Can Virat do a Sachin? Experts suggest Virat can take cue from Sachin Tendulkar’s book- Check how?
Editors pick
