Virat Kohli often acknowledged that 2014 tour of England was the toughest phase of his career as the run machine struggled to cope with England’s veteran pacer James Anderson and often fell victim to his swing and control which also saw his self-confidence to be hit. Still, he bounced back after working hard on his game plan.
In his recent column on Sydney Morning Herald, former Australian captain Greg Chappell, who also worked as India’s head coach, revealed how the run machine Indian skipper Virat Kohli received advice from former Indian cricketers Lalchand Rajput and Sachin Tendulkar which helped him regain his confidence.
Virat Kohli Disappointed In England Tour In 2014 After Suffering From James Anderson’s Pace, Swing And Bounce
Virat Kohli scored only 39 runs in 5 tests and 10 innings averaging a pathetic 13.4 his lowest average in a 5 match test series. He had registered average of 9.2 in Australia’s tour of India in 2017 and more recently averaged 9.5 in New Zealand tour in 2020. But those were 3 and 2 test match series respectively. But his average is a high 53—63 in tests.
“From a cricketing point of view, the turning point for Virat was his disappointing tour of England in 2014. English conditions and bowlers – Anderson in particular – had made batting seem more difficult than solving Fermat’s last theorem,” Chappell wrote.
In 2018, in next England tour, he continued his form by scoring two tons and averaging 59.3 in 5 Tests.
Virat Kohli Turned To Lalchand Rajput And Sachin Tendulkar For Help After Poor Outing In England Tour
After taking advice from veteran Lalchand Rajput and legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, he bounced back scoring as many as 4 tons and averaging a staggering 86.5 in 4 Tests against Australia in Australia immediately after the disastrous England tour amassing 692 runs-his highest in a single series.
“On his return to India, Kohli turned to Rajput for help. They spent 14 days together, working on getting into better positions to deal with the best deliveries. Tendulkar also offered some cogent inputs on batting against top bowlers.”
“During one of these sessions, Rajput told Kohli that he could be a similar player to Viv Richards. Kohli wasn’t convinced. ‘No sir,’ he said, ‘he is too great for me.’ It is now looking like a prescient statement. Sir Vivian would be proud to have played some of the innings that Kohli has played in the intervening years.”
“The ensuing tour of Australia was a watershed in which he set his career on a solid footing and won over the demanding crowds. This country holds a special place in his heart because “respect has to be earned; it is not given easily,” Chappell signed off.
In the disastrous tour in 2018 to England, Virat Kohli fell to pacer James Anderson 4 times and registered 6 times single-digit scores. Interestingly, Viv Richards average of 50.24 is less than Virat Kohli in Tests. In ODIs too, Virat Kohli averages nearly 60 while Viv Richards averages 47.