In recent years, Virat Kohli has failed to live up to his high expectations when playing Tests at home. At the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the first Test match between India and Bangladesh is currently underway. The great cricketer has scored six and seventeen in the first two innings. Since 2021, his average in home tests has only been about 32. Since 2021, the average for Tests conducted in the subcontinent has fallen below thirty.
Sanjay Manjrekar, however, has defended the lucky batsman, claiming that, like the late Sachin Tendulkar, he establishes his dominance in international Test matches. Manjrekar cited the India tour of South Africa from the previous year, when Kohli finished second overall and as his team’s top run scorer with 172 runs at an average of 43 from four innings.
“His enjoyment of batting in India has decreased.” I believe he feels more at home away from home, just like Tendulkar. He played so brilliantly in South Africa, as we witnessed. He was India’s top batsman by far. That’s okay, then. It’s preferable to score runs away from home rather than at home, Manjrekar stated.
Virat Kohli’s recent performance figures
In Tests, Kohli had an incredible 68 average in 2019. He did, however, average 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50 during the following three years. In 2023, the 35-year-old returned to form, averaging 55.91 and scored 671 runs in 12 innings. But his 2024 first Test match didn’t end up being that remarkable.
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Before hosting New Zealand for a three-match series, India is scheduled to play another Test match against Bangladesh. This will allow India to rectify their shortcomings prior to the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is scheduled to begin in November. Considering that Kohli has an outstanding record in Australia, averaging 54.08 from 13 games, his form will be very important.