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Sanjay Manjrekar, the former Indian cricketer turned commentator, has once again stirred up cricketing circles with his recent remarks about Virat Kohli. Known for his candid and often critical opinions on Indian cricket, Manjrekar took to Twitter to analyze Kohli’s early dismissal during Day 1 of the Adelaide Test between Australia and India on Friday, December 6. This time, his commentary has focused on the former Indian captain’s persistent struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s analysis of Virat Kohli’s weakness
Kohli, who played a heroic knock in the first Test of the series with a masterful century, was instrumental in securing India’s crucial victory. However, his performance in the first innings of the second Test left fans and critics disappointed as he was dismissed for a mere 7 runs. The dismissal exposed a familiar weakness, a point that Manjrekar highlighted in his tweet.
In his tweet, Manjrekar highlighted the flaw that has plagued Kohli’s batting for some time: his struggle with deliveries outside the off-stump. The former batter specifically mentioned that Kohli’s average has dropped to 48, largely due to his ongoing inability to cope with such deliveries. He further suggested that Kohli has been reluctant to adjust his technique to overcome this weakness. This pointed observation has reignited discussions about right-handed batter technical vulnerabilities, especially in challenging overseas conditions.
One important reason why Virat’s average has slipped to 48 now, is the unfortunate weakness outside off. But more crucially his adamance to not try another way to tackle it.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) December 6, 2024
Also WATCH: Nathan McSweeney grabs a spectacular catch to dismiss KL Rahul on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test | AUS vs IND
The dismissal that sparked criticism
Kohli’s dismissal came in the 21st over of India’s first innings on Day 1 of the second Test. The bowler, Mitchell Starc, delivered a short-of-length ball that was pitched across Kohli, on the fifth-sixth stump line. Kohli was late in withdrawing his bat, and the ball, which took the edge of his bat, was caught low by Australia’s Steve Smith at second slip. Kohli appeared disappointed as he walked back to the dressing room, looking at the pitch and the toe-end of his bat. Similar to his dismissal in the first innings of the Perth Test, Kohli seemed to make a late decision and failed to get his bat out of the ball’s way, leading to his downfall. Manjrekar’s tweet further scrutinized this recurring issue, pointing out that Kohli’s dismissals to deliveries outside off-stump have become an identifiable pattern.
