Virat Kohli Believes Concept of Two Balls And a Flat Pitch is 'Brutal For Bowlers'

As Eoin Morgan-led England once again blew away the Australian bowlers – chasing 311 in the 45th over in Chester-le-Street on Thursday (June 22), the cricketing fraternity could not help but express its worries over the way the unfair contest between bat and ball has been panning out.

The debate was led by none other than the legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

The former India batsman took to his official Twitter handle to say it was high time that cricket should revisit the rule of having two new balls in One-day International.

Having 2 new balls in one day cricket is a perfect recipe for disaster as each ball is not given the time to get old enough to reverse. We haven’t seen reverse swing, an integral part of the death overs, for a long time. #<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->E<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->N<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->G<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->v<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->s<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->A<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->U<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->S

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) J<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->u<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->n<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->e<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!----> <!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->2<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->1<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->,<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!----> <!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->2<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->0<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->1<!----><<!---->!<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->-<!---->><!---->8

Ever since then several former and present cricketers agreed to what Tendulkar said. And the latest to join the debate is India skipper Virat Kohli.

Addressing the media before leaving for Ireland for the T20I series, Kohli said that use of two balls in ODI innings is brutal for the bowlers.

“I don’t think it’s the trend. It is a place where pitches behave differently at the different time of the year. This is supposed to be the hottest and driest phase. I read a lot of things about two new balls and all. I agree it is brutal for the bowlers. There is hardly any room for attacking cricket left from the bowlers’ point of view,” he said.

“I have played ODI cricket when there was only one new ball allowed and reverse swing used to be a massive factor in the latter half of the innings, which I think as a batsman was more challenging. Honestly, I think it is difficult for the bowlers with two new balls. And if the pitch is flat, they literally have no way out. Unless you have wrist-spinners in your side who can do the job in the middle-orders. Not every side has that cushion so they find it difficult. Probably we have wrist spinners in our side, that’s why we haven’t felt that factor,” he added.

England batsmen have absolutely massacred the Australian bowlers in the ongoing ODI series. In four games so far, they have scored 300-plus total on three occasions. The only time they missed out was in the first game when they were chasing 215.

In the third ODI, they scored a staggering 481 for six – the highest-ever total in the ODI history. Centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales, plus a 21-ball half-century from Eoin Morgan helped England eclipse the 444 for three they made against Pakistan two years ago.

Overall, England had hit 41 fours and 21 sixes during their innings.