Once for India? Former head coach reveals Virat Kohli suffers from…
Former Australian cricketer Greg Chappell has made a massive suggestion for the Indian national cricket team batsman Virat Kohli amid his struggles in Tests. He said the batsman is suffering from Elite Performance Decline Syndrome (EPDS) and the batsman needs to bounce back a score of 20 or 30 to regain his confidence.
Indian national cricket team batsman Virat Kohli has been struggling to get going in Tests. This has come as a big surprise because even after scoring a century in the first Test against Australia in Perth, he has not looked at all assured in the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Virat Kohli has not been at his best after the Perth Test in the ongoing BGT
Kohli played a superb 100-run innings in the opening Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, he has looked torrid with the bat after that and has struggled against the line-out away from home, with Australian national cricket team players wearing his number in the last two matches.
Kohli, in the last two Tests, has mustered just 26 runs, revealing his struggles as a batsman in the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The leading batsman has not been at his best in the last two matches and would look to turn things around in the last two Tests of the series.
Virat Kohli, who averages around 25 in Tests this year, has looked tentative at the start of his innings. The batsman has failed to trust his defense and has chipped away at balls that were outside off, leading to his dismissal in the last four innings of the ongoing series.
Kohli, once known for his dominant starts, has in recent years shown a tendency to start tentatively – Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell said Virat Kohli’s approach at the crease is a sign of EPDS. He said the batsman in recent years has shown a tendency to start tentatively. Writing in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald, he explained:
“The first visible sign of EPDS is a subtle but unmistakable change in a player’s approach at the crease. Kohli, once known for his dominant starts, has in recent years shown a tendency to start tentatively.”
Scoring 20 or 30 acts as a psychological turning point – Greg Chappell’s suggestion to Virat Kohli
Greg Chappell, while correlating Virat Kohli’s form with Sachin Tendulkar i Ricky Pontingsuggested that the batsman he needs a buffer of 20-30 runs to rediscover his flow in the crease. He believes if the batsman does that, it will help him regain his confidence. He elaborated:
“Like Tendulkar and Ponting before him, Kohli seems to need a buffer (a score of 20 or 30) before he can rediscover his flow. Getting a score of 20 or 30 acts as a psychological turning point, helping them to regain the confidence and fluency of his prime.”
Overall, 2024 has not been a great year for Virat Kohli at all. In the 9 matches he has played so far, the opening batsman has amassed 376 runs at an average of 25.06, with his highest score being 100 not out.
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