All eyes on Virat Kohli as he bids to prove his detractors wrong again
Star batter raises his game when required as India begin second Test against Bangladesh
Dubai: India comfortably won the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, solidifying their lead at the top of the World Test Championship table. However, the spotlight has once again turned to the form of Virat Kohli. Despite India’s success, Kohli managed scores of just 6 and 17 in both innings, leading to fresh criticism from detractors.
The criticism has intensified, especially after 33-year-old Joe Root, another modern cricketing great, scored consecutive centuries against Sri Lanka. Root’s impressive performance helped him surpass Alastair Cook as England’s top century-maker in Tests.
Upton confident in Kohli’s resilience
Amid the mounting scrutiny, former Indian mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton expressed confidence in Kohli’s ability to make a strong comeback as India begin the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur on Friday.
“I have been in regular conversation with Virat over the last two years and even during the recent Twenty20 World Cup. He is the consummate professional. The way he came back from that three-year slump was amazing. He’s never happy with where he is and is always constantly looking to improve, whether it’s his fitness, technique, or an aspect of who he is as a person,” Upton told Gulf News. “
Upton reflected on Kohli’s mindset before the Twenty20 World Cup final in Barbados, sharing that the star batter remained confident despite a string of low scores.
“He knew he would score runs in the final. The fact that he didn’t score in seven innings is irrelevant. Kohli’s track record is testament to his ability to deliver in big moments,” Upton added. “Everything he has done in his entire career has perfectly positioned and prepared him to do this for Team India. There was this deep knowingness that he and I had. We spoke about it and it materialised. So no surprises at all.”
Tendulkar’s record
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg believes Root has a better chance than Kohli to break Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 15,921 Test runs. Root currently has 12,402 runs from 146 Tests, trailing Tendulkar by 3,519 runs.
“I just don’t think Virat is going to get there,” said Hogg in a video on his YouTube channel. “He’s lost momentum over the last few years. Root, on the other hand, is still on track and could topple Tendulkar’s record.”
Kohli, 35, scored his 29th century against the West Indies at Port of Spain in July 2023, though it might sound a long time ago, but that is only five innings, including the two innings in the first Test against Bangladesh last week. Despite this, he is only 35 runs away from surpassing Tendulkar’s record for fastest 27,000 runs across all formats, a feat he could achieve in the upcoming second Test against Bangladesh.
T20 retirement
Reflecting on Kohli’s decision to retire from Twenty20 cricket after India’s World Cup win, Upton praised the 35-year-old’s timing.
“Indian cricketers traditionally don’t retire at the right time, often waiting until they are dropped or injured. Virat is part of a newer brand of Indian cricketers who know when they’ve reached the peak of their game. It’s a smart decision by Virat to retire from Twenty20 cricket,” Upton said.
The Delhi batter faced similar criticism on his low strike-rate before the start of the Indian Premier League 2024, but Kohli once again demonstrated that he is ready for new challenges by finishing the season with the Orange Cap for the top run-scorer at a higher strike-rate.
Kohli might have lost a bit of the momentum over the last few years, but he has the fitness to carry on for a longer duration.
While Kohli’s performance in Chennai may have been tentative, given his extended break before the series, going by history one can remain confident in his ability to regain form.
Before this Test, there were reports that he has not been in the best of his touches during the practice games.
With another Test just around the corner, all eyes will be on Kohli as he looks to silence his critics once again. Who knows, perhaps Friday will mark his return to form and score his 30th Test century.