Published: Nov 19, 2024, 02:31 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 19, 2024, 02:32 PM (IST)
India star batter Virat Kohli hasn’t been in great form coming into the highly important Border-Gavaskar series. The 36-year-old hasn’t been able to perform up to his standards in Test cricket in recent times, scoring just 2 centuries since 2020.
In India’s recently-concluded home Test season, Kohli was troubled a lot by spinners from both Bangladesh and New Zealand. The 3-match Test series against the Black Caps was especially disappointing for the batter, who couldn’t even manage to score over 100 runsin 6 innings.
Amid Kohli’s struggles, former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Ian Healy revealed the strategy that he wants Pat Cummins and Co. to use against Kohli in the upcoming Test series.
“The first matchup I’m looking at is how our quicks can bowl to Virat Kohli, and I think they should target his front pad quite often. He sits that front foot there and he can play from anywhere – he can play square on the off-side, he can whip onto the leg-side or he can rock back … but they’ve got to look for any sort of insecurity in his form and maybe target that front pad. But don’t do it every ball because he’ll get used to it,” Healy told SENQ Breakfast.
“If that’s not working, body bash. Bowl at the back armpit, that’s the right arm as a right-handed batsman … and it’s got to be hot. Have him jumping at times if he wants to ride those deliveries – ducking, weaving or bending backwards,” Healy added.
All eyes will be on Kohli in the Test series against Australia as the batter is under immense pressure and has no choice but to try and regain his form. Bad performances in the first and second Test can even see him get dropped from the Indian side and be replaced by a youngster midway through the series.
