Gavaskar explained, “It comes back to the reality that his first error ends up being his last.
Days after winning the T20I series by the same scoreline, India thrashed England in the third ODI of the three-match series to win it 2-1. In the white-ball portion of the trip, India defeated England despite losing the lone Test at Edgbaston.
Even though India won the series, Virat Kohli’s slump persisted because he only managed to score 12 runs in the two T20Is and 33 runs in the two ODIs. He could only manage 11 and 20 in the rescheduled Test match.
Sunil Gavaskar thinks his advice could assist Kohli, who has frequently had trouble with deliveries in the off-stump line, get out of the rut.
“I could tell him what he might need to do if I had approximately 20 minutes with him. In particular, in relation to the off-stump line, it could help him. I’m not saying it will, though. There are certain things you try after being an opening hitter and being concerned by that line. I might be able to inform him if I get 20 minutes with him,” Gavaskar told India Today.
As is the case with Kohli, who has been struggling to score runs for a long time, Gavaskar believes that batsmen tend to attempt every ball that is delivered to them in an effort to score runs and keep the scoreboard ticking. While on the just-completed tour, Kohli made some good shots but ultimately lost his wicket in the ODI series in a similar way.
“It all comes back to how his first error ends up being his last. Again, there is this anxiety to play at every pitch just because he is not among the runs because that is what batters feel, they have to score. You try to play at deliveries that you wouldn’t normally. But on this specific trip, he has also developed solid performances, the speaker continued.
These great people can all have a few failures: Gavaskar backed Kohli and predicted that the legendary batsman would soon return to form, joining the chorus of other cricketers and seasoned players in doing so. He thinks that Kohli, who has been so reliable with the bat for so long, is allowed to make a few errors and that failures are a natural part of the game.
“I believe we will just have to wait until he returns to see whether or not it works. As I have stated, he is entitled to a few setbacks; just take a look at his 70 international hundreds for India. He has played in all game formats and under all circumstances, after all.
“Let’s be patient and take our time. When a player reaches the age of 32 or 33, we in India rush to remove him from the team even if he still has a lot to offer. Likewise, let’s be patient with Kohli. We must allow for a few failures among all these greats who have contributed to Indian cricket, Gavaskar said.
Now, only Sachin Tendulkar can relate to Virat Kohli: Ajay Jadeja
The only person who can empathize with what Virat Kohli is going through right now, according to former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja, is Sachin Tendulkar.
