Sunil Gavaskar exposes Virat Kohli’s technical flaws, blames seniors for India's MCG Test loss

Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has opened up about Virat Kohli's ongoing struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia.

Kohli has been struggling to survive in the ongoing five-match Test series against Australia, managing just one 50-plus score so far, and that was an unbeaten century in the first Test in Perth.

However, Virat Kohli’s form has dipped since then, and the recent Boxing Day Test at the MCG has yet again exposed his vulnerability against the deliveries outside the off-stump. Kohli scored just 36 and 5 in the two innings, falling to deliveries outside the off-stump in both innings at the MCG.

Sunil Gavaskar highlights Viray Kohli’s off-stump struggles after Boxing Day Test failure

The recurring issue of edging balls to the slip fielders or wicketkeeper has troubled Kohli for the past four years and has now become a significant concern for Team India, which has suffered a 184-run defeat in the fourth Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on December 29.

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After the Boxing Day Test, Sunil Gavaskar analyzed Virat Kohli's struggles and technique, pointing out what has been going wrong and offering insights into how the batting maestro might overcome this persistent flaw. He has noted that Virat’s footwork is a key issue that’s troubling him.

According to the former Indian captain, the right-handed batting icon’s front foot is going straight down the pitch instead of moving toward the ball, which limits his ability to connect with the middle of the bat and forces him to reach for deliveries, and it is leading to his dismissals.

Virat Kohli’s foot is not going to the pitch of the ball: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying by India Today: “The (Kohli’s) foot is not going to the pitch of the ball; the foot is going straight down the pitch, not towards the ball. If the foot goes more towards the ball, you have more chances of hitting the ball from the middle. Because the foot is not moving, you end up reaching for the ball, and that is what has been happening.”

Meanwhile, the legendary Indian batter criticized India's top order for their repeated failures in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, except for Yashasvi Jaiswal. He blamed India’s top order for India trailing 1-2 after the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne.

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Gavaskar emphasized that the lower order cannot be blamed for their lack of contributions when the top order is faltering Down Under. He noted, “It all depends on the selectors. The contributions that were expected have not come. It is the top order that has to contribute; if the top order is not contributing, why blame the lower order?

India found itself in this position because of the top order: Sunil Gavaskar

Furthermore, Sunil Gavaskar highlighted that senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had the crucial responsibility of batting through Day 5 during India’s tough chase at the MCG to keep the series alive for the New Year’s Test, but they failed to deliver, and the team faced crushing defeat.

Gavaskar signed off by saying, “The seniors have not really made the contribution that they should have; all that they had to do was bat out today and live to fight another day in Sydney. It’s just that the top order didn’t contribute, and that is the reason India found itself in this position.”