Former India star batter Gautam Gambhir strongly feels that the talk around Kohli’s dismissals in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa is groundless. Adding that Kohli has been exceptional with his bat for India, Gambhir felt that the Indian Test captain needs to let go of deliveries outside the off-stump and spend some time out in the middle.
“A lot is being said about Virat Kohli’s dismissals in the first Test match. I think some of it is unfounded and creates unnecessary chaos. Kohli has been exceptional in his run-making for India, he just needs to leave lot more balls outside the off-stump and buy time,” he wrote in his column for Times of India.
India's highly touted batter Virat Kohli did not have outings on the expected line in Test cricket in 2021. He managed to score just 536 runs at a below-par average of 28.21. Also, the right-hander could not score even a single century last year. Also, in the opening Test of the three-match series against South Africa, Kohli was dismissed chasing deliveries outside the off stump.
The veteran India batter further talked about senior players Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. Gambhir said that he wasn’t keen to play Rahane in the opening Test but his confident 48-run knock in the first innings helped him win himself a place in the second Test.
“I wasn’t too keen to play Rahane in the first game. But with a decent 48 in the first innings perhaps he would have won himself a place in the second Test match too. I’d continue with Cheteshwar Pujara at No. 3,” Gambhir said.
Earlier, India head coach Rahul Dravid was also full of praise for Virat Kohli in a pre-match press conference on Sunday (January 2).
"I know there's been a lot of noise on other issues outside of the group, even leading into this particular Test match. But honestly, in terms of keeping the morale high, it's not been very difficult because it's been led by the skipper himself," Dravid said on the eve of the second Test against the Proteas here.
"Virat has been absolutely phenomenal over the last 20 days that we've been here. The way he's trained the way he's practised the way he's connected with the group. He has been phenomenal and I could not speak more highly of him," added the former captain.
