India’s veteran cricketer Virat Kohli is going through a rough patch. The 36-year-old had a disappointing run in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he was constantly troubled by balls outside the off-stump.
Looking at his lean career, former Indian cricketer Yograj Singh spoke about the role of coach Gautam Gambhir. Yograj believes Gambhir should step in and coach Kohli about his mistakes.
Virat Kohli has been dismissed on balls outside the off-stump on all eight occasions in this series. As the series progressed, problems continued to mount for him as his weakness was constantly being targeted by some relentless Australian bowling attack.
Read also: BCCI forces Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to play ODI series against England
Gautam Gambhir’s role in Virat Kohli’s poor run
During a conversation with news agency IANS, Yograj Singh spoke about the coach’s role in such situations. He called for better management skills for international players instead of coaching.
“The role of a coach becomes an important question when you are playing for India. When you are a great player representing India, you may not necessarily need a coach in the traditional sense. What you really need is someone to manage the men,” Yograj he said.
“Sometimes, a player’s mind gets blocked, he may not score or keep getting out. No matter how great a player is, he cannot be bigger than the game itself,” he added.
Yograj feels that Gautam Gambhir should guide Kohli in playing straight or leaving the balls instead of taking them outside the off-stump. He advised Kohli that he should refrain from playing such shots in bounce and seam conditions.
“Such players need someone to guide them, to say, ‘Let’s go to the nets and work for it’. For example, Virat Kohli has come out many times playing his favorite shot – the right-arm push,” Singh noted. .
“That shot works on Indian pitches, in England and elsewhere. But on some pitches where the ball bounces and carries more, somebody should have told him, ‘Virat, don’t play that shot’. Just play straight or leave it the ball,” he added.
“Every player faces a downfall” – Yograj Singh
Further talking about the difference between coaching and management, Yograj Singh feels that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should be made aware of the mistakes by the coaching staff.
“This shows the difference between coaching and management. Spotting and pointing out a player’s technical error is coaching. One has to recognize and convey these technical issues to the players,” observed Yograj.
“But who will tell Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli? Even they want someone to come and tell them what’s going on,” he argued.
Yograj also believes that the players need to be trusted by the coaching staff to perform. According to him, a player will have moments when he will not be fit but it is all part of the game.
“I think what is needed is the right management – someone who understands when a player’s mind is blocked, when they feel anxious and reassures them, saying, ‘Don’t worry, we are here for you. You will do it. because you are a great player.” Every player faces a slump, even the greatest, it’s a part of the game,” said Yuvraj Singh’s father.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s poor form
Virat Kohli scored 190 runs in five Tests at an average of just 23.75 throughout the series. All his dismissals were on balls outside the off-stump. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma was also in poor form as he collected just 31 runs in three Tests at 6.20.
The poor form of these age players has raised questions about their future in Test cricket. There are calls for their retirement from some former cricketers, however, both are likely to continue for now.
