Virat Kohli is once again under scrutiny for his recurring struggle with deliveries in the fifth stump canal outside. The Indian batting icon fell into familiar dismissal mode in the first ODI against Australia as she struggled to clear the ball to point after a slow start. After failing to turn the strike, Kohli attempted a forced shot outside off and paid the price to depart without scoring. This method of dismissal had also troubled him in the past. During the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli repeatedly found himself bowling balls in the same corridor, often caught behind or at slip.
‘It’s unfair at this stage!’: Kid coach Virat Kohli on treatment of senior duo Virat-Rohit
Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif offered his take on Kohli’s lean patch in Perth, highlighting the critical link between rhythm, form and consistent match practice. He explained that regular playing time helps players stay sharp and better anticipate the variations in pace, swing and length that bowlers use to fool them. “A player’s sharpness depends on rhythm and playing matches regularly,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel. “When you’re in that rhythm, your eyes pick up the ball right off the hand – whether it’s swinging in or out, a yorker or a slower one. That instinct only comes with constant exposure to the game. When you play every few days, you stay in your batting zone.” Kaif has observed that Kohli currently looks out of rhythm and is not in full control of his batting flow, which he believes was clear from the Perth dismissal. “Right now Kohli doesn’t seem to be in his batting zone. He lacked rhythm and looked out of touch which led to that mistake,” Kaif observed. Despite the recent setbacks, Kohli will be looking to regain his touch in the upcoming ODI at the Adelaide Oval – a ground where he has historically thrived. In four appearances there, he amassed 244 runs at an average of 61, including two centuries, often producing some of his best innings under pressure.
