Virat Kohli hones his back-foot game ahead of Brisbane Test
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has revealed that Virat Kohli is honing his back-foot technique ahead of the third Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane. The Gabba is known for its fast pitch and extra bounce, challenging batters to adapt their strategies. A strong back-foot game is crucial for success at this venue, a fact that Kohli seems to be taking into account in his preparations.
Strategy shift
Kohli's technique adjustment for Gabba Test
Having shared the field with Kohli for years, Harbhajan said that although Kohli is a front-foot batter, he is making big strides to hone his back-foot game. This change in approach is to deal with the spicy bounce at the Gabba. Harbhajan revealed this during an interview with Star Sports, stressing on how important it is to be a good player of bounce in Australia.
Practice insights
A look at Harbhajan's observations
Harbhajan noticed that Kohli was leaving several deliveries on the back-foot during practice. He said that for fuller ones, Kohli was going forward but for those a little shorter than full length, he was either ducking or attempting to play them from the back foot. This indicates that Kohli has been toiling to tackle the peculiarities of the Gabba pitch.
Performance review
Kohli's performance and hopes for a comeback
Kohli's performance in the ongoing series has been a mixed bag. He scored an unbeaten century in the first Test at Perth but could only add 23 runs across three other innings. Nevertheless, Harbhajan is still hopeful of a strong comeback from Kohli in the third Test after his low scores of 7 and 11 in Adelaide. The two teams are set to clash at the Gabba, where India scripted history during the 2020/21 tour.
Information
How Kohli fared in 2014 Gabba Test
Kohli played his only Test at the Gabba in 2014, recording scores of 19 and 1. It is worth noting that the extra bounce perturbed Kohli in that Test. Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Johnson dismissed the Indian with back-of-a-length deliveries.