Virat Kohli‘s struggle against deliveries that move away from him continued as he was dismissed by Jaydev Unadkat during a practice match before the West Indies Tests.
Kohli’s vulnerability against the fourth or fifth stump line is not a new phenomenon. Bowlers worldwide have capitalized on this weakness, achieving a fair amount of success against the Indian batting maestro.
Furthermore, Kohli tends to face difficulties when facing left-arm seamers at the start of his innings, much like many other Indian top-order batsmen.
In India’s first practice match leading up to the West Indies Tests, these weaknesses were exploited, leading to Kohli’s downfall. The Indian cricketers arrived in the Caribbean islands nine days prior to the first Test, giving them a perfect opportunity to simulate match conditions in Barbados.
During the initial match simulation, the top-order batsmen, including Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane, were split into two teams, along with frontline bowlers such as Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj, R Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja.
The batsmen went out to bat in pairs unless dismissed. After Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal had successful innings in the first session, Kohli stepped in to bat with Shubman Gill in the post-lunch session.
Virat Kohli’s time at the crease was short-lived as he was dismissed early by Jaydev Unadkat
Initially, Kohli appeared comfortable facing Ravindra Jadeja and even against Unadkat, who bowled with the intention to either bring the ball back in or angle it away from over the wicket.
Kohli played a delightful flick shot off Unadkat for a couple of runs. Nevertheless, Kohli struggled when the experienced left-arm seamer altered his angle and switched to bowling around the wicket.
Unadkat pitched the ball around the fourth stump and managed to maintain its line. Kohli, uncertain whether to go forward or backward, ended up pushing at the ball without committing to decisive footwork.
The outside edge landed in the hands of the second slip fielder, who took a comfortable catch. Kohli hasn’t been in top form in Test cricket for the past three years. He will be eager to make an impact in the upcoming two Tests against the West Indies, starting on July 12.
One area of concern for him will be dealing with deliveries around the off-stump. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal both scored unbeaten fifties before retiring out.
Captain Rohit and the young Jaiswal showcased excellent form, remaining unscathed throughout the first session. Rahane, appointed as the vice-captain for this series, batted twice and appeared to be in better form during his second innings.
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