Despite his formidable reputation as one of the best batsmen in the world, Indian captain Virat Kohli once again fell victim to a ball outside off-stump, leading to his early exit in the last Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. This marks an underwhelming end to Kohli's series, with only one century scored and a recurring weakness against this type of delivery. To add to his frustration, the Australian bowler Scott Boland had openly discussed their tactic for Kohli in a press conference just the day before.
Indian captain Virat Kohli's dismissal in the final Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia has once again exposed his vulnerability to balls outside off-stump.
Kohli, widely regarded as one of the finest batsmen in the world, was dismissed for just 12 runs by Australian bowler Scott Boland. The delivery was a classic outswinger that caught Kohli's edge and flew to the wicket-keeper.
This dismissal marked an underwhelming end to Kohli's series, in which he scored just one century and struggled to consistently make big scores. It also continued a worrying trend for Kohli, who has been dismissed repeatedly by balls outside off-stump in recent years.
To add to Kohli's frustration, Boland had openly discussed Australia's tactic for dismissing him in a press conference just the day before.
"We know that Kohli likes to play the ball on the up," Boland said. "So we're going to try to bowl him fuller and wider, and make him drive at balls that he's not used to."
Boland's plan worked perfectly, as Kohli attempted to drive the ball through the off-side but instead edged it to the wicket-keeper.
FAQs
1. Why is Kohli struggling against balls outside off-stump?
Kohli has a tendency to drive the ball on the up, which makes him vulnerable to deliveries that are pitched outside off-stump and swing away from him.
2. What can Kohli do to improve his weakness against this type of delivery?
Kohli needs to be more patient and wait for the ball to come to him. He also needs to improve his technique so that he can drive the ball straight, rather than across the line.
3. How did Boland's comments affect Kohli?
Boland's comments may have put extra pressure on Kohli, and he may have been trying too hard to prove that he could overcome this weakness.
4. What have been the consequences of Kohli's struggles against Boland?
Kohli's struggles have led to him being dismissed cheaply several times in recent years, and it has also affected India's team performance.
5. What does the future hold for Kohli?
Kohli is still a great batsman, but he needs to address this weakness if he wants to continue to be one of the best in the world.
Liverpool and Manchester United played to an exciting 2-2 draw on Sunday, marked by a number of standout performances and controversial moments. Among the latter was Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez's reckless challenge on Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt during the final stretch of the match. While Nunez was booked for the challenge, he was criticized by former Chelsea player Pat Nevin for being "staggeringly fortunate" to escape a red card for what Nevin described as an "absolutely horrible" tackle. Despite the intense end to the game, both teams showed signs of improvement, with Manchester United notably benefitting from working with new head coach Ruben Amorim for a full week prior to the match.
Yograj Singh, former Indian cricketer and father of Yuvraj Singh, shared his thoughts on the Indian team's recent 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He highlighted Virat Kohli's dismissals throughout the series and suggested that someone should have advised him not to play a certain shot. Singh emphasized the importance of man-management in addition to coaching for players representing their country. He also praised Gautam Gambhir's ability to lead the team but stressed the need for proper management to keep the younger players together.
The group stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 has concluded and the knockout teams have been decided. Among the top performers, Karun Nair stood out as the captain of Vidarbha, leading his team to the quarter-finals with a perfect record. The 33-year-old batsman also set a new List A world record by remaining unbeaten in four consecutive matches and scoring a total of 542 runs before being dismissed in the fifth match.
The highly anticipated Premier League game between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield did not disappoint, with fans and experts alike raving about the intense and brilliant performance from both teams. Follow along with Mail Sport's live updates for the latest news and highlights from this unforgettable match.
According to reports, FC Barcelona is determined to secure a contract extension for Pedri until 2030, amidst their ongoing efforts to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor this month. The club is also looking to announce other deals, such as for Gavi and Ronald Araujo, and have already agreed on a contract with Marc Bernal. However, the success of these plans hinges on resolving the Olmo and Victor registration issues. Even though the team's star midfielder, Pedri, recently signed on for an additional four years, the news may be overshadowed by their inability to play Olmo and Victor for the rest of the season.
The group stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 recently came to an end with 10 teams qualifying for the knockouts. While some heavyweights like Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Saurashtra missed out on the knockouts, the tournament witnessed stellar performances from a range of veteran stars and youngsters. Karun Nair's unbeaten knock of 542 runs in five innings led Vidarbha to the quarter finals with a spotless record, while Mayank Agarawal's four centuries helped Karnataka secure a spot in the quarter finals.
Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and his wife Dhanashree, a popular dancer, have reportedly been facing divorce rumours as fans noticed their absence from each other's social media and cryptic posts about 'negativity' and 'ending'. Amidst the speculation, a Reddit post discussing the couple's relationship has gone viral, adding fuel to the ongoing controversy. As Dhanashree continues to work on her upcoming projects and post pictures on Instagram, Yuzvendra has been absent from her profile for months, and their last public appearance together was in July 2020.
As Pakistan fought to make a comeback in the New Year's Test against South Africa, tensions ran high when seamer Wiaan Mulder and batsman Babar Azam came face to face on the field. In a heated moment, Mulder threw the ball at Babar, who was out of his crease, causing a dispute between the players and umpires. Despite the confrontation, Babar went on to score his second half-century of the match and helped Pakistan reduce their deficit against the Proteas.
In this highly anticipated matchup, the SMU Mustangs will take on the No. 20 California Golden Bears. SMU is coming off a strong victory against Stanford, thanks to the impressive performance of Nya Robertson. Meanwhile, Cal boasts a strong 3-point game led by Ioanna Krimili, but will have to contend with SMU's rebounding prowess. With both teams evenly matched, this game is sure to be a thrilling one to watch.
As the January transfer window opens, former Manchester United player and current Leicester City assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is looking to his previous club for players to potentially strengthen Leicester's squad. With United needing to sell players in order to make new signings, Nistelrooy's contacts and experience could prove to be a valuable resource for Leicester as they fight against relegation this season. Despite the potential stumbling block of high wages, United's Marcus Rashford remains a top candidate for a January move.