In the second one-day international of the three-match series versus England, Team India was severely defeated by 100 runs, resulting in a 1-1 tie in favour of the hosts. After being dismissed for 246 runs, England defeated India by 146 runs because to Reece Topley’s outstanding bowling performance, during which he claimed six wickets. Virat Kohli, the standout batsman for India, was back in the game after missing the first ODI due to a groin injury, but his difficulties continued as he was removed on 16.
The cricketing world has taken notice of Kohli’s bad patch, and several former players have offered their opinions on the possible causes of the India batter’s difficulties. Rashid Latif, a former captain of Pakistan, remarked about Kohli after India’s defeat on Thursday. He insisted that the player should speak with the top coaches in India and further drew comparisons between Kohli and Kane Williamson, the captain of New Zealand.
“Modern-day cricket is different. Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Kohli, Rohit Sharma.. everyone has some weakness or the other and they are exposed soon enough because of the technology we have now. But they haven’t changed their game. Kane Williamson is enduring a similar phase as Kohli. Short of length deliveries are a weakness for him. They all have to go to their basics, you need to consult your best coaches and work on your weaknesses,” Latif said on his official YouTube channel.
The former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter went on to discuss Sourav Ganguly’s remarks on Thursday regarding Kohli’s difficulties. Latif criticised the comments, stating that the 33-year-old India batter is being used as a target. The BCCI President had added that the India star needed to find his way out of the difficult period.
“You are talking about one player, but the entire Indian team isn’t winning consistently either. You are putting the gun on Virat’s shoulders and keeping the other players safe. You look at the 2019 World Cup, 2021 T20 World Cup.. even when Virat didn’t perform, what were the others doing?” Latif said.
