Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan expressed disappointment over Virat Kohli's ongoing struggles in red-ball cricket, describing his recent performances as unworthy of his legendary status.
Speaking during a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan highlighted Kohli's underwhelming average of close to 28 in Test cricket over the past five years, which has further dipped to 21 since October 2023.
"It's been five years. You are such a big player, and your average in the last five years has been close to 28. Does Indian cricket deserve this? Absolutely not. They deserve better than this," said Pathan.
"He has an average of 21 since October 2023. The Indian team doesn't deserve that. Even a young player will give you an average of 21. You expect more than this from Virat. If your career average is close to 50, these are numbers to be ashamed of,” he added.
The former all-rounder further dissected Kohli’s struggles in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, emphasising the batter's repeated dismissals to deliveries pitched outside the off-stump.
Kohli has fallen prey to such deliveries six times in seven innings during the series, highlighting a recurring flaw in his technique.
"If you look at his dismissals, all the balls were outside the stumps. If you don't touch them, the balls will go to the wicket-keeper, and the bowler will definitely try something else. Good players increase the gap between two similar mistakes. Virat is making similar mistakes repeatedly. Australia are not even moving from Plan A to Plan B. He is getting out to Plan A itself," Pathan observed.
The former Indian captain, who scored a century in the first Test in Perth, has since recorded a string of low scores—7, 11, 3, 36 and 5—fuelling criticism of his place in the playing XI.
The 36-year-old's prolonged lean patch has sparked debates about the Indian team’s need for a transition, with selectors eyeing younger prospects for the Test squad.
- Virat Kohli
- Irfan Pathan
