Virat Kohli looked distraught as he watched the replays of his dismissal on Day 4 of the 1st Test between South Africa and India from the dressing room at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. It looked as if Kohli was not able to believe that he chased a wide delivery that he could have left for the second successive time in the Test series opener in the Rainbow Nation.
Kohli looked dejected as he made the slow walk back to the pavilion, knowing he had thrown away an opportunity to dominate the South African attack and extend India’s lead in the second innings.
Speaking on air, Sunil Gavaskar questioned Virat Kohli’s shot-selection, saying he was surprised that the skipper chased a wide delivery without giving himself time to settle down after the Lunch break.
“That was a loose shot after lunch. Every batsman gives himself some time after a break. You have got to reset your batting. Kohli is such an experienced batter, maybe at the back of the mind, he was looking for a declaration. How far away that ball i. He could have left it all alone, it was the first ball after lunch,” Gavaskar lamented.
With twin failures in the Centurion Test, Kohli finishes 2021 without an international hundred. In fact, this is the first time in his career that he has gone two full calendar years without getting to a 3-figure score.
Kohli finished 2021 with 536 runs in 11 matches at a paltry average of 28.21 which is in stark contrast to his career average of 50.34. Kohli has managed just 4 fifties in Test cricket in 2021.
