Ravi Shastri acknowledged, using Virat Kohli as an example, that people grow more composed as they age. In the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, the former India coach believes the Delhi batter will be better off reviving his fierce, antagonistic role.
In the red-ball format lately, Kohli has become a shadow of the player he once was. The 36-year-old batsman has scored just two hundreds in his past 60 Test innings since the start of 2020, averaging just 32. The run engine of the past has had a concerning fall in form in 2024, averaging just 22.72 over six games and recording just one half-century in his last ten innings.
During his time as India’s head coach, Shastri witnessed Kohli play up close. He encouraged the right-handed batsman to use his fiery personality to help him turn things around in the game’s longest format.
“As you age, don’t you become more relaxed? However, I believe that Kohli may start to perform well again at the beginning of the Test series. He must. “I hope to see him like that once more,” Shastri stated in a press conference on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli face is in the picture. His creativity will flow when he gets to Australia.
It all depends on his starting position, and for Australia, it’s comparable to Steve Smith’s. These guys can control the series if they dominate the first two or three innings, so don’t write them off,” he continued.
On Australian soil, Kohli has put on some of his most impressive Test cricket performances. Although some fans and experts have begun to doubt the stalwart’s continued relevance in the format, Shastri is adamant that he is still in his peak and that a tough series against Australia might just help him get back to his best.
Views on India choosing intra-squad games over organised opponents are expressed by Ravi Shastri.
The top analyst believes that rather than playing India A in an intra-squad warm-up, India ought to have chosen to play a well-organised opponent. He remained optimistic about the decision, though, and felt it would be good for the Asian giants.
“The constant question is, ‘How strong will the opposition be?'” “When it comes to organising a tour game, that’s the first question you ask,” Shastri stated.
Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah is India’s X-factor, going to be difficult over the summer: Travis Head
On Friday, November 22, at Perth’s Optus Stadium, the first Test begins. Since Jasprit Bumrah will be captaining the Indian team for the second time in the Test format, Rohit Sharma is probably going to miss this match.
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