Aakash Chopra raises red flags on Virat Kohli's form in Tests ahead of Australia tour

Aakash Chopra has raised the alarm over Virat Kohli’s dip in form with the bat in Test cricket, suggesting that India’s cricketing titan might be losing his magic touch. Chopra said that Kohli’s form has visibly stumbled since 2020, leaving the Indian cricket team struggling and raising concerns ahead of the crucial Australia tour.

Following India’s unexpected Test series loss against New Zealand at home, where Kohli’s struggle against spin was badly exposed, questions about his ability to thrive in the longest format of the game that he loves most have grown louder among the fans and cricket experts.

Aakash Chopra questions Virat Kohli’s waning influence in Test cricket

Kohli has crossed the triple-figure mark just twice in the past four years, and that is a dramatic fall for a player who was once the backbone of India’s batting line-up. His recent scores were 9 and 17 on Pune’s slow-turner, with New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner exploiting Kohli's struggles with spinners.

Since 2021, spinners have claimed the former Indian captain’s wicket 21 times, reflecting a mounting vulnerability that opponents are only too eager to exploit in the upcoming crucial assignments. And Chopra pointed out that Virat Kohli’s rare centuries during this period came in flat-track matches.

Is Virat Kohli's Test form a concern?

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “Is Virat Kohli's Test form a concern? He has scored only two centuries in the last five years. It's a concern if you see his numbers for the last five years, and that was before the start of this Test match. He played only six innings in 2020 and had an average of 19. He played 19 innings in 2021 but had an average of 28, with no century.”

Highlighting the right-handed batter’s numbers, the cricket pundit mentioned that he played 11 innings in 2021 and made runs at an average of 26, with no century. However, Kohli scored two centuries in 2023, and his average jumped to 55, but the one century came in a drawn game on a flat pitch in Ahmedabad, so he won't rate that too much.

Chopra mentioned that Kohli’s average is 32 in eight innings this year, and he feels this is a big concern for the Indian cricket team, as the team makes the entire game plan around him.

Indian cricket team requires Virat Kohli's form and contribution: Chopra

He explained, “It's always going to be a concern if Virat Kohli doesn't score runs or scores less runs because he is a mighty player and you make your entire game plan around Virat Kohli. This team requires his form and contribution even more because Rohit Sharma is at the top and Kohli is in the middle; the rest around them are all kids.”

The commentator also noted that India's young batters have embraced an aggressive, attacking style in Test cricket, which makes Kohli's role even more crucial, as India needs stability from him.

Chopra signed off by saying, “All kids play big shots; they play in their own way, my way or the highway. In such a scenario, Virat Kohli not only scoring big runs but also batting two to two-and-a-half sessions will be the calming influence. He will drive the game, and things can revolve around him. He will want to be the pivot, and it will be a problem if he doesn't become that.”