Indian skipper Virat Kohli has not had a consistent run in Test cricket in the last couple of years. While Kohli’s wait for 71st Test century continues, his average in the red-ball format has gone below 50 for the first time since 2017. Kohli’s Test average is now 49.95.
The last time former Indian skipper's average went below 50 was in 2017 when he was playing his 60th Test which was also against Sri Lanka.
Kohli was trapped in front of the stumps by left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama. He lost his wicket for a score of 13. He faced just 16 deliveries on Day 2 of the pink-ball Test at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. He was beaten by the lack of bounce, similar to his dismissal in the first innings.
The Delhi-born batter was dismissed for 23 in the first innings. Dhananjaya de Silva got the better of him as he went on back foot and was beaten by the lack of bounce.
Kohli will finish with 81 runs from two Tests against Sri Lanka. In his 100th Test, Kohli was dismissed for 45 in Mohali. He did not get to bat in the second innings as Rohit Sharma-led India won the match by an innings and 222 runs.
Kohli was unimpressive in the limited-overs home series against West Indies as well with scores of 8, 18, 0, 17 and 52 in three ODIs and two T20Is respectively.
The 33-year-old’s last Test century came against Bangladesh in the pink-ball Test in Eden Gardens in 2019.
