Virat Kohli failed after getting a start against Bangladesh in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) of the series. With this dismissal, Kohli has now failed to go past 50 more than once in 2015. Shiamak Unwalla wonders what Kohli is doing wrong with the bat.
Virat Kohli has been one of India‘s best batsmen by far over the last five years. He has scored over 1,000 runs a year consistently, usually at an average of more than 45. So the fact that he has scored a mere 378 runs in 15 innings in 2015 is a travesty. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs Bangladesh, 3r ODI, Mirpur
Below is a comparison of Kohli’s overall ODI record as opposed to his record in 2015:
|
M |
I |
NO |
R |
HS |
Ave |
SR |
100s |
50s |
|
161 |
153 |
23 |
6586 |
183 |
50.66 |
89.59 |
22 |
33 |
|
15 |
15 |
3 |
378 |
107 |
31.5 |
76.82 |
1 |
0 |
The 107 he scored in India’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 opener against Pakistan was a crucial innings that got India’s World Cup campaign off to a positive note. However, he has done little of note before and since. There were a few starts in between as well as a couple of unbeaten knocks, but he was unable to kick on. As things stand, he averages a mere 31.5 this year — a far cry from his career average of over 50. LIVE CRICKET UPDATES: India vs Bangladesh, 3rd ODI, Mirpur
Below is a break-up of every innings Kohli has played so far in 2015:
|
R |
B |
SR |
4s |
6s |
Against |
Ground |
|
9 |
16 |
56.25 |
0 |
0 |
Australia |
Melbourne |
|
4 |
8 |
50 |
0 |
0 |
England |
Brisbane |
|
3* |
9 |
33.33 |
0 |
0 |
Australia |
Sydney |
|
8 |
19 |
42.1 |
0 |
0 |
England |
Perth |
|
107 |
126 |
84.92 |
8 |
0 |
Pakistan |
Adelaide |
|
46 |
60 |
76.66 |
3 |
0 |
South Africa |
Melbourne |
|
33* |
41 |
80.48 |
5 |
0 |
U.A.E. |
Perth |
|
33 |
36 |
91.66 |
5 |
0 |
West Indies |
Perth |
|
44* |
42 |
104.76 |
4 |
1 |
Ireland |
Hamilton |
|
38 |
48 |
79.16 |
4 |
0 |
Zimbabwe |
Auckland |
|
3 |
8 |
37.5 |
0 |
0 |
Bangladesh |
Melbourne |
|
1 |
13 |
7.69 |
0 |
0 |
Australia |
Sydney |
|
1 |
4 |
25 |
0 |
0 |
Bangladesh |
Dhaka |
|
23 |
27 |
85.18 |
3 |
1 |
Bangladesh |
Dhaka |
|
25 |
35 |
71.42 |
1 |
0 |
Bangladesh |
Dhaka |
Kohli failed in the tri-series prior to the World Cup, but was in decent nick during the tournament. He followed his ton in the first match with innings of 46, 33 not out, 33, 44 not out, and 38 in the group stage. However, come the business end of the tournament — the quarter-final and the semi-final — and Kohli failed again, getting dismissed for 3 and 1 against Bangladesh and Australia respectively.
Kohli has failed in the ongoing series against Bangladesh as well. He was guilty of playing a poor shot outside off, nicking off for just 1. He was looking in good form in the second ODI, but then missed a straight ball and was trapped LBW. Prior to that, he had defended a free hit as well. In the final ODI, he tried to slog and once again missed a straight ball. Again, it was an unnecessary shot that made no sense playing at that stage.
It seems that Kohli has not been in his usual frame of mind with the bat lately. He has been guilty of showing a surprising lack of match awareness — typified by defending a free hit and missing simple straight balls — which suggest that he is over-thinking, and is not at peace with his game.
The problem is very obviously mental, and hopefully with the break India will finally get to enjoy following the Bangladesh series, he will be able to unwind and collect his thoughts in time for India’s next assignment.
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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