Questions about Virat Kohli’s future in Test cricket have emerged again after his disappointing performance in India’s first innings during the third Test against Australia in Brisbane. The 36-year-old was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood while attempting a cover drive, reigniting debates about his form in the longest format of the game.
For pace bowlers, Kohli has become an inviting target when facing the new ball in Test matches. Over the past four years, swing and seam bowlers have repeatedly exposed his weaknesses, dismantling a player once celebrated for his graceful flicks and cover drives.
Unfortunately, that elegant cover drive, once his signature shot, has turned into his Achilles’ heel. While Kohli remains a dominant force in white-ball cricket, where rules favor batsmen, his inability to restrain from playing the cover drive early in Test innings has led to repeated dismissals. The shot often results in edges caught by the wicketkeeper or slip fielders.
Although he showed glimpses of his old form with a century in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, it came after openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul had handled the new ball and worn down the Australian attack. However, when forced to bat early due to top-order collapses in subsequent innings, Kohli has struggled against the moving ball, falling prey to deliveries outside off-stump.
Kohli’s issues have become more evident during this series, with dismissals in Brisbane and Adelaide highlighting his vulnerability against fresh bowlers. Former teammate Cheteshwar Pujara, who himself faced exclusion from the squad due to poor form, recently commented on Kohli’s struggles with the new ball.
“We’ve been discussing that Kohli struggles against the new ball,” Pujara told Sky Sports. “When he faced the old ball, he scored a hundred in Perth. His batting is more suited to coming in after 10, 15, or 20 overs when the bowlers are not as fresh. Facing the new ball has exposed his technique.”
Kohli’s latest dismissal in Brisbane, where he was caught playing a loose shot outside off-stump just before a rain break, frustrated fans and cricket experts alike. Commentating during the match, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed his disappointment: “That shot was unnecessary. It wasn’t even close to the stumps on the seventh or eighth stump. Kohli will be very upset with himself for that.”
From 2011 to 2019, Kohli amassed 27 Test centuries, but since 2020, he has managed just three. His decline in form after the COVID-19 pandemic has puzzled cricket followers, with both technical and mental adjustments now deemed necessary for him to regain his form.
If Kohli fails to address these issues, calls for his retirement from Test cricket may intensify, especially as this challenging Test series continues Down Under.
