“It’s a concern!”: Akash Chopra analyses Virat Kohli’s dipping form in red ball

New Delhi: India’s star batter Virat Kohli has found himself under strict scrutiny after repeated low scores in red-ball cricket. Virat’s dwindling runs have been a major problem for the men in Blue who have been bereft of any run from the middle order.

Searching for the big runs, Kohli is nowhere close to his past form and has been largely reduced to a mere shadow of his former self. Barring a few knocks, Kohli’s bat has largely remained silent. Given below is the list of his last 10 test innings which will show a more clear picture.

Virat Kohli’s Last 10 innings in Test cricket:

• 2nd Test Vs New Zealand: 1 (9), 17 (40)
• 1st Test Vs New Zealand 0 (9), 70 (102)
• 2nd Test Vs Bangladesh 47 (35), 29 (37)
• 1st Test Vs Bangladesh 17 (37), 6 (6)
• 2nd Test Vs South Africa 46 (59), 12 (11)
• 1st Test Vs South Africa 38 (64), 76 (82)
• 2nd Test Vs West Indies 121 (206)
• 1st Test Vs West Indies 76 (182)
• Final Vs Australia 14 (31), 49 (78)
• 4th Test Vs Australia 186 (364)

Things become even more pathetic when King Kohli is playing at home, especially against spin. This lack of form against spin in the subcontinent cost India the series against New Zealand as the Kiwi spinners ripped through the entire batting lineup of India in the 2 tests so far.

“It’s a concern!…”: Former cricketer Akash Chopra brings out his scanner on Virat

Former Indian cricketer acknowledged the fact that Kohli’s dwindling form is one of the biggest points of concern for the men in blue. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Chopra said:

Is Virat Kohli’s Test form a concern? It’s a concern! If you see his numbers for the last five years (before this test), he played only six innings in 2020 and had an average of 19. He played 19 innings in 2021 but had an average of 28, with no century…

Furthermore, Chopra also reiterated the fact that with the absence of red ball players like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli needs to score those centuries and half-centuries. With the dipping form, the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024 looks like the final frontier for Kohli before tough calls are taken!