‘His body was…’: Sunil Gavaskar reasons Virat Kohli’s form revival in Perth Test | Cricket News
Virat Kohli bounced back with a classic hundred for Team India in the first BGT Test against Australia. Sunil Gavaskar opined on what exactly led to his success in Perth.
India’s Virat Kohli celebrates his century on the third day of the first cricket test
between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi: Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar recently reasoned the form revival of Virat Kohli as the star player hit a century for Team India in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Kohli’s century proved match-winning for India as he helped the visitors consolidate their lead and eventually bag the game with a huge margin of 295 runs.
Gavaskar felt that Kohli subtly adjusted his batting stance in the second innings of the first Test which helped him neutralise the Australian bowling attack and rediscover his vintage form which was long missing. Kohli has oozed class in Australia in the past, specially in the Border-Gavaskar Test series, but this time arrived in the nation after a lean run of form across formats lately.
His woes against spin on turning tracks raised doubts about his place in the team. However, he silenced his critics by scoring his 30th Test hundred in Perth. This was his first hundred after he hit a 121 against the West Indies at Port of Spain in July 2023.
“His body was completely relaxed when he came into bat in the second innings. In the first innings, because of the fact that India had lost two wickets early, he would have also been under pressure,” Gavaskar spoke on Star Sports, as quoted by PTI.
“In that second innings, you could sense apart from changing that stance, I think he also got his legs, which were maybe just a little bit wider at the start. Just a little bit, maybe I’m thinking too much, but that little thing might have given him that height he wanted. Well, in Australia, on the bouncier pitches, you need that edge,” Gavaskar added.
Kohli comes out with flying colours
Gavaskar went on to highlight a specific boundary that Kohli hit off Hazlewood towards the mid-wicket saying that it was not the easiest of the shots. He compared the shot with the straight drive terming it a little easier because of the stance change and calling the boundary “all magic”.
Kohli was dismissed for 5 runs in the first innings and the Delhi batter brought all his technical expertise into play as he dealt with the variable bounce of Perth during the second innings. The Aussie bowlers desperately tried the off-stump line, short ball plan and even going after the line of stump to get the veteran batter out but nothing worked out as he hit a century and India declared innings right after.
(With PTI inputs)
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