Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has advised India’s star batter Virat Kohli to avoid playing deliveries outside the off-stump in order to regain his form before the Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With the series tied at 1-1, India and Australia will face off in front of a packed Melbourne crowd on December 26.
Kohli has struggled in Tests in recent years, with his current form particularly concerning. The 36-year-old has averaged just 25.06 in nine Tests this year, including a disappointing 31.50 in the ongoing Australian series. His habit of chasing deliveries outside the off-stump continues to cause issues against the determined Australian bowlers.
Speaking on Star Sports before the Boxing Day Test, Hayden offered Kohli the following advice:
“There could have been magnificent wins, there could have been losses, there could have been spinning conditions, I mean, you can list off a hundred different areas where Virat Kohli, over his magnificent career, would have batted. But in Melbourne, he’s going to have a good batting track.”
He further added:
“What he does need to do is find a way to continue staying at the crease. Flashing outside the off-stump is something that he’s going to have to resist. And I suggest – he gets in line with the ball a bit more and looks to play down the ground a little bit more.”
Matthew Hayden urges Virat Kohli to emulate Sachin Tendulkar’s 2004 heroics
Matthew Hayden also encouraged Virat Kohli to replicate Sachin Tendulkar’s remarkable 2004 performance in Sydney. Tendulkar famously avoided playing through the cover region during his 241* in the final Test of the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, after repeatedly edging balls outside the off-stump in the first three Tests.
“I know he (Kohli) has a magnificent cover driver, but so did Sachin Tendulkar, and he put it away for a day. I sat in the gully licking my lips, thinking, you know what, this is magnificent, stubborn batting,” Hayden said in the same discussion.
He further concluded:
“I felt engaged throughout the series, even without a catch. Sachin adapted by avoiding the cover drive, playing off his legs, and tackling his weaknesses. Virat Kohli has that same determination, and I’m sure we’ll see it in Melbourne.”
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