Former Australian cricketer Greg Chappell has made a huge suggestion for Virat Kohli's Indian national cricket team amid their struggles in Tests. He said the hitter was suffering from Elite Performance Decline Syndrome (EPDS) and that the hitter needed to stock up on a 20 or 30 pitch to regain his confidence.
India national cricket team Virat Kohli has been struggling to get going in Tests. This has come as a big surprise because even after scoring a century in the first Test against Australia in Perth, he did not look confident at all in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Virat Kohli was not at his best after the Perth Test in the ongoing BGT
Kohli played a brilliant 100-run innings in the opening Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, after that, he looked nervous with the bat and struggled against the outside line, with the Australia National Cricket Team players getting his number in the last two matches.
Kohli, in the last two Tests, has mustered just 26 runs, revealing his struggles as a batsman in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The opening batsman has not looked at his best in the last two matches and will be keen to turn things around in the final two Tests of the series.
Virat Kohli, who is averaging around 25 in Tests this year, looked hesitant early in his innings. The batsman was unable to trust his defense and bowled balls that were outside off, leading to him being dismissed in the last four innings of the ongoing series.
Kohli, once famous for his autocratic starts, has in recent years shown a penchant for starting out as a caretaker – Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell says Virat Kohli's approach to the crease is a sign of EPDS. In the past few years, he said, the mixture has shown a tendency to start out temporary. He explained in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald:
“The first visible sign of EPDS is a subtle but unmistakable shift in a player's approach at the crease. Kohli, once famous for his dominant starts, has in recent years shown a tendency to start as a caretaker.”
Reaching a score of 20 or 30 is a psychological turning point – Greg Chappell's suggestion to Virat Kohli
Greg Chappell, while linking Virat Kohli's form with Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, suggested that the combination He needs to buffer 20-30 times to rediscover his flow at the crease. He believes that if the batsman does this, it will help him regain his self-confidence. He explained:
“Just like Tendulkar and Ponting before him, Kohli seems to need a buffer – a 20 or 30 degree – before he can rediscover his flow. Reaching a 20 or 30 degree is a psychological turning point, helping them regain the confidence and fluency they had.” them in the prime of their youth.”
Overall, 2024 has not been a great year for Virat Kohli at all. In the nine matches he has played so far, the senior batsman has made 376 runs at an average of 25.06, his highest score being 100.
