Former Indian team assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has spoken about Virat Kohli’s dismissal off the bowling of Mitchell Starc in the first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The former all-rounder felt that Starc was a step ahead of Kohli, who played the wrong shot against the world-class bowler.
As the former India captain returns to the international scene for the first time since March, he has received big applause. However, the veteran batter was dismissed for a duck while playing with a ball well outside the off stump. The ball flew to center fielder Cooper Connolly, who made a diving catch.
Speaking on Featured sportsNayar dissected the dismissal. He said, quoted by IANS:
“The discussion will always be about square wicket bowling in Australia. With the pace, bounce and extra lateral movement on offer, you want to let the ball come to you, play it late and behind the body. It’s slightly different to what Virat has traditionally done here. He’s someone who likes to take charge, walk towards the bowlers and bowl straighter areas. Today was a different challenge. Mitchell Starc seemed to have length in advance; he did not opt for the complete and rapid deliveries that we recommend. used to seeing, but instead I hit the pitch hard and went through the batter.
A rain-marred match in Perth saw just 26 overs per team as India trailed to 136/9 after a somewhat windy partnership between KL Rahul and Axar Patel. However, Australia won with seven wickets to spare.
‘There were definite plans’ – Abhishek Nayar on Australia’s dismissal of Virat Kohli
Nonetheless, Nayar is confident that Kohli will reinvent himself and respond in the next ODI. In the same discussion he said:
“Yes, there were definite plans against Virat. In white-ball cricket, unlike the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where there was more turf and movement, it was about variation of pace and angles. I am sure Virat will go back, study his videos and look at the adjustments, maybe playing deeper at the crease or later towards third man could be better options. We We’ve seen him work on this during the BGT, and I’m confident he will reflect, adapt and come back with better plans to achieve the races we all expect from him.
The second ODI will be played at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23.
Edited by Parag Jain
