Aakash Chopra Reckons Virat Kohli Getting Out To Wide Deliveries Like 2014 UK Tour Has Resurfaced

Aakash Chopra believes the issues Virat Kohli had addressed post the disastrous 2014 tour of England have resurfaced again over the last couple of years. Virat Kohli had contrasting tours of England in 2014 and 2018. In 2014, he managed only 134 runs in five Tests at a poor average of 13.40. Four years later, he hammered 593 runs in the five-Test series. Virat Kohli averaged 59.30 with two hundred in 2018.

Virat Kohli has not scored an international century in over two years. He has endured a dismal 2021 with the bat in Test cricket, having managed just 536 runs at a below-par average of 28.21 in the 11 Tests he played. His last century came in 2019 during a Day-Night Test against Bangladesh.

Aakash Chopra Reckons There’s A Problem As Virat Kohli Got Out Repeatedly By Playing Cover Drives

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, former opener and commentator Aakash Chopra pointed out the biggest area of concern in Virat Kohli’s batting.

He said: “The way he [Kohli] is getting out to wide deliveries, the number of times he is getting out playing the drive, it happened with him in 2014 as well. It is happening again with him now. At times, he is making mistakes he never used to.”

The former India cricketer highlighted that the cover drive, which was Virat Kohli’s area of strength, is leading to his downfall in recent times.

Aakash Chopra elaborated: “Sam Curran, Ngidi, Pat Cummins, Anderson, Marco Jansen – all of them got him out. I have not seen him getting out to the drive so many times like this. So there is a problem. He used to play very good cover drives earlier, it was a beautiful story but at this time, it is a problem.”

Virat Kohli scored 53 runs across his two innings in the ongoing Boxing Day Test against South Africa. In both innings, he chased wide deliveries after getting his eye in and was caught behind the wickets.

Aakash Chopra: Virat Kohli Should Take A Leaf Out Of Sachin Tendulkar And Stop Playing Drives

Aakash Chopra feels Virat Kohli will have to stop scoring runs by the cover drive for the time being taking an example from legendary former Indian batsman Sachin  Tendulkar.

“What is the cure for this? He has done it earlier and will have to do it again. He will have to take a leaf out of Sachin Tendulkar’s book which will say – don’t drive. The second time he had gone to England, he said that he will keep leaving and will force the bowlers to come close to him.”

The reputed commentator concluded by stating that the mode of Virat Kohli’s dismissals and not the long wait for an international century is the real concern.

Aakash Chopra observed: “There is a problem that needs to be addressed. It is not about scoring a century, the 71st will also come, I am not talking about that at all. I am talking about a pattern getting developed where Kohli is getting out playing the drive, which was not the case earlier, or you can say between 2015 and 2019, but it has happened many times after 2019.”

Aakash Chopra feels Cheteshwar Pujara’s diminishing returns could also be a contributing factor in Virat Kohli’s lowly numbers. He cited the example of Sachin Tendulkar also having a lean run when Rahul Dravid‘s form dipped.

Like 2020, Virat Kohli finished this year as well without a hundred. In this year he played 11 tests and scored 536 runs with an average of 28.21 which included only 4 fifties. The last time he scored an international hundred, was in November 2019.  In 2020, he averaged a mere 19.33 and in 2021 he averaged 28.21.

Virat Kohli getting caught behind by the keeper or in the slip cordon while trying to lunge into cover drives and off-drives has become some sort of a norm. Virat Kohli scored 35 and 18 in the first Test against South Africa. In the ongoing first Test at SuperSport Park, Virat Kohli was dismissed while driving and edging to first slip and wicketkeeper in both innings.