Seven out of seven. It’s the kind of score that would be welcome in most instances, but not when one of the premier batters of his generation gets out in the same fashion seven times in a row. This has been a series to forget for Virat Kohli .
And to think that it started with so much promise a month and a quarter ago, with a second-innings century in the opening Test in Perth. Increasingly, the unbeaten 100 at the Optus Stadium is beginning to look like an anomaly, an aberration. Once in a rare while, like in the first innings in Melbourne, he has promised to reprise that Perth essay, but more often than not, he has flattered to deceive, sucked involuntarily into feeling for the ball outside the off-stump and presenting catches behind the wickets, either to the wicketkeeper or to the slip cordon.
Kohli’s cricketing life has been marked by the kind of supreme dedication and discipline that only comes to a driven few. Less than a half-decade after making his international debut, he revamped his lifestyle, committing himself totally to a rigorous physical and dietary regimen that made him among the fittest cricketers in the world. Even today, at 36, he is as fit as anyone in the sport globally, which is a huge tick in the box.
He continues to be an outstanding fielder and has grown as a slip catcher, reiterating his desire to keep pushing the boundaries of excellence. While he maintains that desire when it comes to his batting as well, the wheels are beginning to come off. .