Virat Kohli adjusted his stance in Perth Test! Gavaskar highlights
Former Indian cricket team captain, Sunil Gavaskar, has lauded Virat Kohli for his tactical adjustment of batting stance in the recently-concluded Perth Test against Australia, which India won. This, Gavaskar said, helped Kohli neutralize the Australian attack and return to his best in the second innings. Before this match, Kohli was going through a slump across formats. However, he silenced critics by recording his 30th Test century.
Gavaskar analyzes Kohli's performance in Perth Test
Speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar said Kohli looked more relaxed later on. He opined the early loss of wickets in the first innings might have put pressure on Kohli. But in the second innings, Gavaskar noticed a change in Kohli's stance and leg position which he thinks helped him. "In that second innings, you could sense apart from changing that stance, I think he also got his legs...that little thing might have given him that height he wanted," said Gavaskar.
Kohli's technical expertise shines in 2nd innings
Despite being dismissed for just five runs in the first innings, Kohli showed his technical prowess in the second. He skillfully negotiated variable bounce and an aggressive Australian bowling strategy which included the off-stump line, short-ball tactic, and attacking the line of stump. Gavaskar particularly admired a boundary hit by Kohli off Hazlewood, describing it as "all magic."
Hayden echoes observations on Kohli's stance
Matthew Hayden, the former Australian opener, echoed Gavaskar's observations, saying Kohli's decision to go "more upright" on a pitch with variable bounce worked. He added this strategy meant keeping head position above the bounce, which worked in Kohli's favor. "I said right from the start that I actually liked his move, batting in more line with the ball... The other little adjustment...being a little more upright, so he could stay on top of the bounce," said Hayden.
Gavaskar compares Kohli's form with tennis legends
Gavaskar also drew parallels between Kohli's recent form and when tennis greats like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic went without a title. He argued that just like these tennis stars are expected to win titles regularly, so is Kohli expected to score centuries consistently. When they don't meet these high expectations, their form is questioned despite still performing at a high level.
