Indian Test captain Virat Kohli’s bad form with the willow continues as he failed to even go past the 40-run mark in the recently concluded Boxing-Day Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Kohli only managed scores of 35 and 18 in the two innings of the three-match series opening game, which the tourists won by 113 runs on Thursday. After the match, Kohli’s inability to regain his magic touch with the bat was one of the major talking points.
In the post-match show on Star Sports, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was asked to share his views on Kohli’s struggles with the bat. The former Indian opener reckoned that Kohli should give a call to legendary Sachin Tendulkar and discuss the latter’s innings at Sydney in the 2003-04 tour of Australia.
Notably, Tendulkar was also going through a similar phase in the 2003-04 tour when he was getting out constantly while chasing the deliveries outside off-stump. However, the Master Blaster managed to come back strongly after opting not to play a cover-drive in the next game, and soon hit a double century in the Sydney Test.
“Going back to Kohli, it would be fantastic if he calls Sachin Tendulkar up to wish him a happy new year. And during that talk, if he can, maybe just check with him how he curbed his offside shots in the year 2003-04 against Australia,” said Gavaskar.
“He was getting out caught in the covers or caught behind, and then in that fourth Test match, he decided he’s not going to play in the covers. He was only playing maybe mid-off or straighter and on the on the side, and what did he end up with? 241 not out in the first innings and 60-something not out (60*) in the second innings. Just maybe wishing him a happy new year and maybe just picking him brains, asking him how he did it, might help him as well,” he added.
