Virat Kohli’s Approach Against Spin Surprised Dinesh Karthik

Virat Kohli was dismissed LBW in both the innings of the pink-ball Test in Bengaluru. In 11 of his last dismissals at home since 2020, India’s former captain, Virat Kohli, has been dismissed by spinners nine times.

Four of them were leg-before wickets (LBWs), two of which happened in the pink-ball Test against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. While few have remained unfazed over Virat Kohli’s approach, backing the modern-era great to return to scoring ways, his new Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate has been left “surprised” by his strategy against spin.

Virat Kohli Is Standing Outside Leg Stump As He Is Little Worried About LBW But It Causes One More Trouble: Dinesh Karthik

Speaking after the end of Day 2’s play at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik pointed out the position where Virat Kohli has been seen batting at the crease during the last two innings.

As opposed to his previous approach of standing at middle or middle-and-leg, Virat Kohli has been standing a tad outside the leg stump and Dinesh Karthik feels that although the 33-year-old has applied the strategy to avoid getting LBW, it has caused him more trouble.

“I’m pretty surprised as to where he is standing in the crease. He is standing touch outside leg stump. And that you do when you are little worried about LBW. But that in many ways actually causes you more trouble the moment you stand outside leg stump because almost all balls you need to meet across.

“But when you stand in middle or between middle and leg stump, there is a good chance that the balls that are drifting into you say the middle stump then you end up playing a lot straighter,” he explained. 

“The moment you stand outside leg stump, everything you do tend to go across and so the one that comes in has the potential to get you lbw. So that is one thing that I have been very surprised with the strategy he has used to play spin,” he added.

The century drought for Virat Kohli continues as he managed to score 23 and 13 runs in the first and second innings of the match respectively.

Dinesh Karthik Surprised Where Virat Kohli Is Standing At The Crease

Dinesh Karthik admitted that while in the first innings, Virat Kohli was undone by the low bounce off the M Chinnaswamy track, he was at fault in the second innings.

“Kohli over the years has consistently stood at middle or between middle and leg and that allows him to play with softer hands. And this mindset has come obviously because players who do not want to get lbw do that. And he wants to avoid that. Interestingly, in both the innings he got out lbw.

“Yes the ball kept a little low in the first innings but in the second innings I guess it was a touch and was a kind of delivery you play on it. The place Kohli stood on the crease is a hard place to bat on especially on these kind of tracks,” he added.

India are heading in the Test series by 1-0 against Sri Lanka and are also in a position of strength in Bangalore to win the game. The team have performed well so far and Shreyas Iyer has been the most outstanding performer as he has scored half-centuries in both innings. Jasprit Bumrah took a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

Virat Kohli ended his Sri Lanka Test series scoring just 81 runs in three innings at an average of just 27. The poor return saw Virat Kohli’s career batting average drop below 50 for the first time since 2017.  It’s now been 18 Tests without a century for Virat Kohli.

It’s been more than two years since Virat Kohli scored an international ton, which came during a day-night Test versus Bangladesh in 2019.