New Delhi: Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes that star batsman Virat Kohli must feel particularly let down after his dismissal to Australia’s Josh Hazlewood on Day 3 of the Brisbane Test on December 16. Kohli’s early departure added further strain to an already struggling Indian batting lineup, which had lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill cheaply.
Kohli’s dismissal raised fresh worries about his batting technique, as it mirrored previous instances where he edged a fuller ball outside off-stump. Bangar pointed out during a discussion on Star Sports that while Kohli has faced many dismissals due to exceptional bowling, this specific situation was one he could have avoided.
“The last 3 dismissals could be given credit to the bowlers, but this is one which he would be certainly disappointedent with, because that was a ball which he in fact played before the start of this Test match. The thing that we noticed was that he wanted to leave a lot of balls outside off-stump,” Bangar said
“So he would be clearly disappointed with that error in his shot making that was clearly there. These are the balls which any battter would want to hit in the early part of the innings. He looked to defend, but apart from that, this particular dismissal there was a rank wide-ish half-volley, he could have easily let that go in the early part of his innings,” he added.
Hazlewood bowled a fuller delivery well outside off-stump that baited Kohli into a loose drive, leading to a catch by wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Even though Kohli has been working hard in net sessions to overcome this issue, his failure to adapt during crucial match situations remains a troubling trend.
Australia’s impressive total of 445 in their first innings placed immense pressure on India’s batting unit. Mitchell Starc set the stage early by removing Jaiswal and Gill, and shortly after, Hazlewood sent Kohli back to the pavilion for just three runs, leaving India in a precarious position at 22/3.
Following Kohli’s wicket, play was interrupted by rain, leading to an early lunch break. When play resumed, Rishabh Pant came in to bat alongside KL Rahul, but rain stopped the match again. This pause gives India’s team management a moment to rethink their approach as they face a daunting target and a vulnerable top order on a challenging Gabba pitch.
