Virat Kohli averages 31 against spinners while 52.7 against pace at home in Tests since February 2021. What Virat Kohli needs to rectify in his batting against New Zealand.
Virat Kohli is a name which reverberates excellence and sends shivers down the spines of any bowling attack which comes face to face with him. The master batter is just 53 runs away from the 9,000-run club in Test cricket, a feat which he might accomplish in the upcoming home Test series against New Zealand. This milestone assumes significance because two of Kohli’s competitors in the current era – Joe Root and Steven Smith - are already past this landmark, and the former has sped past 12,000 runs in Test cricket.
Kohli’s performance at home since February 2021 raises questions
Kohli has amassed 8,947 runs in 195 innings spread across 115 Tests, at an average of 48.89. He has scored 29 hundreds and 30 fifties in this process.
The question in the minds of fans and observers in the game is where did Kohli lag behind that he fell short of Root and Smith at this stage of his career. Afterall, his record is unblemished when it comes to performances either at home or away during the course of his career.
Kohli has scored 4,243 runs in 81 innings spread across 42 Tests at home in his career. These runs have come at a more than healthy average of 58.93 with 14 hundreds interspersed during this course. But if one looks at Kohli’s performance at home since February 2021, one observes a considerable dip. In 13 Tests at home since February 2021, Kohli has managed to score just 685 runs in 21 innings at a below par average of 34.25. Moreover, he has managed to strike just one hundred and 2 fifties during this phase at home.
These returns spark ferocious debates amongst fans and followers of the game. What is the reason behind this dip, one is forced to think. Questions abound and Kohli needs to find answers.
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No problems against pace; problems aplenty against spin
Kohli has scored 158 runs in 257 balls against pace bowling of all varieties in home Tests since February 2021. These runs have come at a healthy average of 52.7, as he has been dismissed by pacers only three times during this period at home.
Kohli’s performance against pace in home Tests since February 2021:
Innings | Runs | Balls | Dismissals | Average |
11 | 158 | 257 | 3 | 52.7 |
The problems shore up when he encounters spin at home, something which is surprising, but ails all modern India batters in the last few years. Kohli has managed to score just 527 runs off 1,041 balls bowled by spinners of all varieties at home in the aforementioned period. He has been dismissed 17 times by tweakers, while averaging just 31.
Kohli’s performance against spin in home Tests since February 2021:
Innings | Runs | Balls | Dismissals | Average |
20 | 527 | 1041 | 17 | 31.0 |
Problems against spin a recent ailment or persistent issue?
The question which begs an answer is whether this has been the case throughout his career or only through the period in observation.
Appatently, no, as since his debut in the longest format, Virat Kohli has scored 2,467 runs against 4,231 balls bowled by spinners at home, at a healthy average of 56.1. Even this average was stunted due to his underwhelming returns against spinners since February 2021, as from his debut in June 2011 till January 2021, Kohli scored 1,940 runs off 3,190 balls bowled by spinners in home Tests while being dismissed 27 times; these runs came at an astonishing average of 71.9.
Kohli’s performance against spin in home Tests since debut in 2011:
Innings | Runs | Balls | Dismissals | Average |
76 | 2467 | 4231 | 44 | 56.1 |
Kohli’s performance against spin in home Tests from debut in 2011 to Jan 2021:
Innings | Runs | Balls | Dismissals | Average |
56 | 1940 | 3190 | 27 | 71.9 |
So, it is quite clear from a perusal of these numbers that this problem is a recent ailment and Kohli need to find a solution to this issue.
Home Tests against New Zealand offer Virat Kohli a chance to rectify this anomaly
The three home Tests against New Zealand will offer a chance to Virat Kohli to rectify this anomaly which has hit his batting average quite hard in the previous few years.
It won’t be that easy though as New Zealand have quality spinners in their ranks – Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra. It is upto the master India batter to either take the attacking route or play in an attritional style to counter this threat. But if the recent history is any guide, especially if one looks at the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh, adopting the attacking way could be the way out to help Kohli find his mojo.
The first Test of India’s home Test series against New Zealand kicks off on October 16 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The other two Tests will be played in Pune and Mumbai.
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