Virat Kohli in a ‘slump’, what is ailing the Indian cricket team captain?

Virat Kohli has now gone close to 50 International innings across formats without a century, with his Test average in the last couple of years taking a big hit.

Virat Kohli in a file photo. (Image credit: Twitter)
By Siddharth vishwanathan | Aug 27, 2021 | 5 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

In the last couple of years, the unthinkable has happened for the Indian cricket fan. Virat Kohli is in the middle of a ‘slump’. For two years in ODIs, he has not scored a century. In Tests, the period is 22 months since he last hit a century.

This has impacted his record in the last couple of years, especially in Tests. With Kohli approaching 33, this ‘slump’ has come at a bad time for the India cricket team skipper. There are questions about whether the captaincy is taking his toll on Kohli, but the numbers do not back that up. What is ailing Virat Kohli? Is it a technical deficiency? Have bowlers worked him out in the last couple of years?

Virat Kohli in a slump, but numbers still decent

The year 2020 was bad for Kohli, managing just 19.33 in Tests. In 2021, he currently averages 24, having failed in five innings in England so far. But, such are his lofty standards in ODI and T20Is, that despite the ‘slump’, he still averages 47 and 43 in ODIs in 2020 and 2021. The time period from his ‘slump’ is from November 2019 to the end of the first innings in Leeds that happened on August 25, 2021. In this 21-month period, Kohli has often struggled.

Virat Kohli has a great record in ODI and T20I but his Test returns have been poor. All stats have been updated till the end of the first innings in 2021 Leeds Test.

The ‘slump’ necessarily is not related to ODIs and T20Is. The numbers are excellent for Kohli in that. Such are his standards that if he does not score a century, it represents a failure. In this way, anything less than a hundred is not good enough for Kohli. This is very much like Sachin Tendulkar in the 90s. But, the staggering aspect of Kohli is despite the ‘slump’, in ODIs he still averages close to or better than Tendulkar in his career average.

What ails Kohli?

In order to understand what ails Virat Kohli, one just has to look at one crucial thing The mode of dismissal that has affected Kohli. When one looks at 15 ODIs and 18 Test innings, the numbers present a common trend and some interesting aspects.

The common trend in Kohli’s dismissal is that bowlers are bowling a lot fuller at Kohli in ODIs and Tests. Out of 15 innings, he has been dismissed seven times on the fuller length in ODIs and 10 times in Tests. The common mode of dismissal for Virat Kohli in this entire period has been caught or bowled. In the bowled dismissals, he has missed deliveries that have come into the batsman predominantly. When Moeen Ali and Ish Sodhi dismissed him, they were with deliveries that spun in or the googly. Whenever he has mistimed the delivery, it has been off a short length. When he middled the ball, it took some outstanding catches to dismiss him. The classic case being the Australia ODIs in 2020.

Virat Kohli has been dismissed consistently off a fuller length in the last couple of years. All stats updated till August 2021. (Graphic credit: Sportslumo)

But, the trend of the bowlers to Virat Kohli is simple. Bowl fuller, get it to swing back in, keep it around off stump and the dismissals will come frequently.

The problems of Kohli in Test cricket

When it comes to Test cricket, Kohli’s technique has been ruthlessly exposed. Once again, the template for bowlers has been bowling the ball fuller, getting some inward movement and then keeping it around the off stump. When it comes to the inward movement, Tim Southee and Colin de Grandhomme exposed a chink in Kohli’s technique. The batsman played slightly outside the line to be trapped LBW to deliveries coming in during the 2020 New Zealand Test series. Kyle Jamieson exposed that even during the ICC World Test Championship final in Southampton in 2021.

But, in the ongoing series against England, James Anderson has once again exposed the technical issue with Kohli. Every bowler knows that Kohli likes to drive. The urge to play at everything and drive at a full ball outside off has proven to be his undoing in Test cricket. In Trent Bridge and Leeds, Kohli poked at deliveries outside off that just swung away slightly. In the past, Kohli has edged deliveries outside off and being dismissed.

Virat Kohli has been dismissed caught and LBW the most times of a fuller length since the last two years. All stats updated till Leeds first innings 2021. (Image credit: Sportslumo)

The mode of dismissal has made many Indian analysts urge Kohli to ‘forego ego and curb the need to drive.’ The numbers do not lie in this instance. Kohli has been caught, trapped LBW the most times in this slump. This suggests a certain hint of uncertainty has crept up in his game.

What next for Kohli?

If Kohli does not score a big one in the final five innings of the current tour of England, then the questions will only grow on the Indian cricket team skipper. There is no questioning Kohli’s brilliance. His numbers in ODIs and T20Is are simply magnificent. But, in Tests, his numbers have taken a hit. The ruthlessness of Test match bowlers is such that they will continue to expose Kohli’s weakness.

Kohli might just want to get into a good mental space and sort out the technical difficulties in his own way. Changing his style which has served him brilliantly for the last 12 years might prove to be counterproductive to Virat Kohli. He is just one good knock away from reaching the heights that he achieved from 2009 to 2019.

In that decade of dominance, Kohli went past 20,000 runs combined across all formats, making him the only batsman to achieve this feat. He is just nine centuries away from overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s mark of 51 ODI tons. The situation is ripe for Kohli to ensure that he overcomes the flaws in a spectacular manner.

Kohli is the greatest of all time. But, he is also mortal as he underwent a slump. Even greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Don Bradman and many others have undergone ‘slumps’. The nature and interpretation of the slump can change, but Kohli is not hitting centuries and the nature of his dismissals are consistent. The numbers don’t lie on this aspect.





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