Former India captain and maverick batter, Virat Kohli continues to struggle when it comes to scoring runs in Test cricket. In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, the right-handed batter has aggregated just 111 runs in five innings. The best he looked was in Delhi Test scoring 44 runs where he fell victim to an unlucky dismissal. But not every dismissal can be called unlucky as his shot selection has faltered. The opposition has found holes in his defense that have resulted in an extended poor run which has prevented Kohli from dominating with the bat.
However, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is not concerned with Kohli's form and doesn't want to judge any batter on the performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series in which batting has been extremely difficult. Ponting exuded confidence in Kohli and reckons that the Indian superstar will bounce back soon.
"I'm not looking at anybody's form in this Test series because, for a batsman, it has just been an absolute, it's been a nightmare," Ponting told ICC Review.
"For Virat, I've said it before I say it over and over. Champion players always find a way, and yes, it might seem like he's in a bit of a drought at the moment and he might not be scoring the runs that we all expect him to score.
"And certainly, you know, he's a realist as well. And we all know as batsmen, when you're struggling and not scoring runs, you don't need anybody else to tell you. You're pretty aware of it yourself.
"But no, I'm every day of the week putting my hand up and not even showing any sort of concern to Virat Kohli. Because I know he will bounce back," the World Cup-winning Australian captain added.
It was against Bangladesh in 2019 that Kohli scored his last century in red-ball cricket. Since then, runs have completely dried up for the former Indian captain in Tests. The stylish batter has scored just 990 runs in 21 Tests since 2020. He averages 27.50 while his highest score is 79. The Test century has not come in over three years but it is not a concern anymore, especially on Indian tracks. The impactful knocks have dried up. Once hungry for match-winning Test knocks, Kohli is starving for them while donning the whites.
ALSO READ:
Not Rohit, Kohli or Bumrah but this player is India's biggest match-winner in last decade
