Virat Kohli had a tough time during his recent tour of Australia. In five Test matches, he only scored 190 runs, despite hitting a century in the first game at Perth. He kept getting out in the same way by chasing wide balls. As a result, his average was just 24, and his struggles contributed to India losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.
Ricky Ponting, a former captain of Australia, believes that Kohli still has a lot to offer to Indian cricket. He remembered his own difficulties towards the end of his career and how they are similar to what Kohli is facing now. While Ponting averaged 39.48 in his last five years of playing, his overall average was 51.85.
Ponting said, “I can see how much Virat wants to succeed. But sometimes, trying too hard can make things harder. In the past, I focused more on not getting out than actually scoring runs, which might sound weird.”
Kohli has only made three centuries in the last five years of Test cricket, and he struggles against deliveries pitched outside the off-stump. Ponting thinks there might be a mental block for Kohli, but he believes Kohli still has valuable experience to share with his teammates.
Ponting explained, “When I was playing my best, I just focused on scoring runs. Now, with Virat, it seems like he doesn’t want to play those wide balls, yet there’s something holding him back.”
Finally, Ponting reflected on his own career and mentioned that he played for two more years than he should have. He wanted to help guide younger players and make sure they were ready for international cricket as some senior players were retiring, including Mike Hussey.
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