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Ravichandran Ashwin analyses Virat Kohli’s LBW dismissal by Xavier Bartlett, highlighting Kohli’s need for more time at the crease after his break.
Virat Kohli has scored two successive ducks (Picture credit: AP)
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has said that although the delivery from Xavier Bartlett that got Virat Kohli was very good, the batter missed the line of the ball, which shows that he still needs some time in the middle to get himself going, after being away from cricket for four months.
Kohli had to step in early after captain Shubman Gill fell to Bartlett at mid-off in the seventh over. The latter targeted Kohli with a string of outswingers, exploiting his vulnerability to deliveries outside off stump.
To end the over, Bartlett bowled a straight one that nipped back onto Kohli’s pads, forcing him to walk back, as a review would likely have hit the middle stump.
“Xavier Bartlett bowled two outswingers and then straightened the line to trap Virat Kohli LBW and dismiss him. Now, this is a genuine pattern of dismissal for Rohit Sharma. You will always get to see this (in case of Rohit), whether it be against Kagiso Rabada in South Africa or even against Pat Cummins in Australia,” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“The way that Virat got out to the ball that came back in, he actually missed the line. I saw during the innings break, Abhishek Nayar talking about how that was a great ball. But the one thing I would be worried about, what Abhi said was perfect, but Virat actually missed the line of the ball,” Ashwin said.
“If we see it again, Virat actually planted his foot in line with the ball, so that is probably telling me a story that Virat needs more time in the middle to probably get his rhythm going,” Ashwin added.
The former Indian player backed Kohli to bounce back in the third ODI against Australia on Saturday, October 25, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
October 23, 2025, 21:53 IST
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