BGT 2024/25: Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden decode what worked for Virat Kohli during his Perth Test ton
BGT: Gavaskar, Hayden decode what worked for Kohli during his Perth Test ton Photograph:( AFP )
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Former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Matthew Hayden dissected Virat Kohli's ton in the BGT 2024/25 opener, held in Perth. Here is what they said -
Former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Matthew Hayden dissected Virat Kohli's ton in the BGT 2024/25 opener, held in Perth. Here is what they said -
Virat Kohli silenced his critics in style with an unbeaten 100 in the second innings of the Perth Test, which India won by 295 runs to take a 1-0 lead over Australia in the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) opener. After Jasprit Bumrah-led India opted to bat first on Day 1, Kohli fell flat like every other Indian batter and got dismissed for 5. However, after India took a 46-run lead despite getting all-out for 150, Kohli turned it around in the second essay, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal (161), with a fine 100*. Thus, the visitors declared at 487-6, setting a mammoth 534-run target. Eventually, India bundled out Aussies for 238 to win the first Test in Perth. Following Kohli's 81st international century, former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Matthew Hayden dissected what worked for Kohli after he failed in the first innings in Perth.
Gavaskar told the broadcasters after the end of the Perth Test, "His body was completely relaxed when he came into bat in the second innings. In the first innings, he came out to bat when India had lost two early wickets, he might have been under pressure. In the second innings, I think he gave himself a little more time to play the ball and, apart from the wider stance, I think he allowed himself to play the bounce by being a little bit more upright."
Meanwhile, Hayden opined, "I think Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar) made that point (with a slightly more upright stance). I think it’s an excellent point. The reverse can be said of someone going to India and staying low. I think by being a little more upright, your head position is right — staying on top of the bounce and being able to work the ball around from under your sight. I said from the start that I liked him batting more in line with the ball. I think that’s a good strategy. We saw some classic cases where he was able to work the ball through mid-wicket. You can’t do that batting outside the off-stump. Getting into the line was important."
The former Australian opener added, "I like that mid-wicket boundary that he hit off Hazlewood. That, to me, is not the easiest of shots. I think a straight drive is a little more easy, that’s not easy. Just to open up a little bit and play that shot, that was great. You’re never going to change the fact he is going to try and take the ball early. He is always going to be in front of himself. But, when you know he’s got the timing — when the body movement is right — he starts to play great on drives. When you think about the action of the on-drive, where do you take the ball? Not behind the body, but in front of your body. That’s his strength."
India rode on stand-in captain Bumrah's match figures of 8 for 72, Mohammed Siraj's regular strikes, vital contributions from KL Rahul, debutants Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana, centurions Jaiswal and Kohli to bounce back in the Perth Test after managing 150 on the first day.
The second Test will be played at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, which gets underway on Dec 6. Regular captain Rohit Sharma will return to the playing XI after missing the series opener due to paternity leave.
