Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull feels Virat Kohli is feeling the pressure of not having scored an international hundred in over two years with the Indian skipper getting out for a duck in the second and final Test in Mumbai on Friday.
Kohli failed to open his account and got out after facing 4 balls against Ajaz Patel, with his dismissal raising some eyebrows due to the controversial decision by the TV umpire on Day 1 at the Wankhede Stadium.
Kohli’s average in Tests has declined from 68 in 2019 to 19.33 in 2020 and 27.93 this year. It’s been 13 Tests since he scored his last hundred against Bangladesh in November 2019 and Doull feels this is something which must be playing on Kohli’s mind.
“They know how big this is, how big that wicket is. Virat knows how many innings it has been (since his last international century).
“He says he doesn’t know how many it has been, but he is not being honest either. He knows exactly when he had scored his last hundred and he knows that he needs another hundred to silence some of the critics. So he is feeling the pressure as much as anyone,” he said.
Doull went on to add that critics and fans have been talking about Kohli’s century-drought because of the high standards that the star batsman has set for himself.
“And rightly, he should. He sets such high standard. That’s the problem. When you set such high standards, so far above the rest, how do you stick to it? At times you will have a lull and this is one of those lulls.
“He is too good a player, but lets hope that (century) happens in the next Test match and not this,” Doull said.
India recovered from Ajaz Patel’s four-wicket haul to reach 221 for 4 by the close of play on Day 1 thanks to Mayank Agarwal’s fourth Test hundred and Shubman Gill’s 44.
The opener remained unbeaten on 120 along with wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha keeping him company on 25 not out at the Wankhede Stadium.
