Ace batsman Virat Kohli‘s performance at number four has been poor, according to Ali, and the former Pakistani cricket player believes that a player like Nitish Kumar Reddy, who hit a century in the last game, ought to bat before the seasoned batsman. He added that rather than being dropped, Kohli ought to be relegated to bat three down rather than two.
In the Melbourne Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, Australia completely destroyed India. In the series’ fourth game, which also happened to be the Boxing Day match, the Indians lost by 184 runs after faltering in the fourth innings and ultimately failing to save a potential draw. As they prepare for the Test in Sydney in the New Year, the adversaries will then face one another for the final time in the series.
Notably, India is currently behind 1-2 in the series, and its only chance to qualify for the WTC Final 2025 is to win. Conversely, a victory would guarantee the Australians a spot in the last test, which will take place at the Lord’s in June 2025 against South Africa. Both fans and commentators have been harshly criticising India’s batting in this crucial match for both teams, and former cricket player Basit Ali has added his voice to the discussion.
Since he can’t score at number four, the club will now move Virat Kohli to number five and Nitish to number four. According to the Hindustan Times, Basit stated, “I think former coach Rahul Dravid will be missed. If you can’t score, drop lower down the order. Rohit is doing that, but nobody is thinking about Virat because everyone is afraid.”
Comparison of Kohli and Nitish Reddy’s performances
Even though he is a legend, Kohli has been going through a difficult time. His inability to stay within the off-stump line has been evident since the Perth Test, and he has only been removed this series when he has edged such deliveries behind the wicket. The New Delhi native has scored 167 runs at an average of 27.63, which is, to put it mildly, unimpressive. He will be hoping to improve and recover in the next match.
However, even though he batted lower in the order in his first series, Reddy has been the Indians’ second-best batsman. The Vizag native is now the third-highest run scorer in the series with 294 runs at an average of 49.00. In the fifth and final Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, he will also be hoping to build on his incredible run.
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