New Delhi, Jan 4, 2025- Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar weighed in on Virat Kohli’s ongoing struggles against deliveries outside the off-stump, following Kohli’s dismissal on Day 2 of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney. Kohli’s repeated dismissals to similar modes of attack have raised questions about his form, and Manjrekar opined that the batter is now grappling with self-doubt despite trying everything to overcome this glaring weakness. Kohli was dismissed by Australian seamer Scott Boland for the fourth time in the series.
Boland’s consistent targeting of the channel outside off-stump led Kohli to edge yet another delivery to the slip cordon. This marked the eighth time in nine innings that Kohli fell prey to the same weakness, highlighting a recurring issue in his game. Manjrekar, speaking on Star Sports, analysed the dismissal and pointed out a significant adjustment in Kohli’s batting stance.
For the first time in years, Kohli was batting deep inside his crease in an apparent attempt to combat his vulnerability. “I mean, he’s gone back and he’s inside the batting crease. Now that is a very rare thing for Virat Kohli to do.
You know, Virat Kohli loves getting outside the batting crease going forward. He’s tried everything within his, you know, capabilities and on this occasion he tried being inside the batting crease, same result. “ What do you do? And Mark (Nicholas) makes a good point about him now having clear self-doubt with what.
