Virat Kohli's Batting Struggles In Tests Mental, Not Technical

Indian skipper Virat Kohli's manner of dismissal in the second innings of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton has drawn comparisons to his dismissals during the 20

Gaekwad refuses to blame any technical weakness in Kohli. But he points out to something that can let a seasoned and experienced batsman down with his technique.

"The more you play, the more calculations you get in your mind. Technique goes with mind. You think it will work, (but) it doesn't work," he adds. "Cricket is a game of the mind. It is about how you apply your mind."

Gaekwad said that players can sometimes not perform to potential and that is what has happened to Kohli. "That is why assessments go wrong. We thought India will win but they didn't perform to potential. Same can happen to individuals," he said. Since his November 2019 Test ton against Bangladesh, Kohli has managed just three half-centuries in eight Tests.

Kohli though hasn't looked out of sorts. His two half-centuries (72 and 62) in the first two Tests against England in Chennai this year came on pitches that were tough to bat on. His other half-century, in the first Test in Adelaide in December 2020, helped India gain a first-innings lead before India collapsed for 36 in the second innings.

In the 15 One-day Internationals he has played since November 2019 Test century against Bangladesh, Kohli has scored 649 runs, averaging 43.26 (as against a career average of 59.07). Unlike in Tests, he has been more consistent in this format, scoring eight half-centuries, but he has failed to get a Test century.

The T20 format is the only one at international level where his average during the last one-and-a-half-years has climbed. It is 64.45 (709 runs) as against a career average of 52.65.