Virat Kohli is doing well again in Sydney and Irfan Pathan is not happy at all. The former India all-rounder slammed Kohli after the latter fell while chasing a wide delivery. Kohli, 36, made 17 runs before throwing away his wicket while chasing an outside off-stump delivery bowled by Scott Boland in the 32nd over.
Kohli even bowled the first delivery he faced, and Australia celebrated as Steve Smith thought he had caught the ball. However, third umpire Joel Wilson thought Smith had touched the ball on the ground and Kohli was given a reprieve. However, he failed to make Australia pay.
Irfan Pathan said Kohli was making the same mistakes again and again. He also said that Kohli needs to show some discipline if he wants to score runs in Tests.
“Such a great player. But every time, the same errors. The gap between errors should be very far apart. That’s what great players do, but he (Kohli) didn’t do it. Almost six dismissals in this series in front of pace outside off stump, whether playing length on the front or back foot or diving in the air,” Pathan said on Star Sports.
“Today too, he could have left it long, the line was that far. It’s all about discipline. Whoever makes the comparison, like the great Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli should leave the balls out and be disciplined,” he added.
“Tendulkar had range”
While commentating, Irfan Pathan also highlighted how Sachin Tendulkar took a range of shots. He said Kohli can take the shots, but he seems reluctant at the moment.
“Sachin Tendulkar had a lot of range, there were cuts, uppercuts but Virat never plays those shots. It’s not like he’s never played it. He doesn’t want to do that. He is reluctant and that is the reason why he goes for the drive or tries to defend the sixth or seventh ball of stump. Every time there is an outside edge and it comes out,” Pathan said.
Since the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, fans and cricket pundits have advised Kohli to take inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar’s act in Sydney 2004, where he left all deliveries outside the stump and did not play a single cover drive.
However, Kohli was unable to do so as he was found guilty of flashing outside the off-stump several times.
Despite scoring a century in the second innings of the Border-Gavaskar opener in Perth, Kohli struggled to get runs. In the other seven rounds he scored 5,7,11,3,36,5,17.
Regarding the Sydney Test, India were bowled out for 185 after Scott Boland returned with four wickets.
At stumps, Australia’s score is 9/1, with the hosts still trailing by 176 runs.
