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    STUMP VISION                                                        OCTOBER 31, 2025       |  The Indian Eye 44

                    Experts Urge Calm as Virat Kohli

                                           Falters Down Under

                 After two consecutive ducks in Australia, cricketing greats Ravichandran Ashwin and

             Irfan Pathan have called for patience and perspective, urging Virat Kohli to trust his game

                                    and rediscover his rhythm without succumbing to pressure

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            hander, expecting width, was trapped
                                                                                                                  plumb in front. It’s a trap Kohli has
            Perth
                                                                                                                  escaped countless times before—but
                 or  the  first  time  in  years,  Vi-                                                            at present, the timing isn’t clicking.
                 rat Kohli looks uncertain at                                                                         Both Ashwin and Pathan agree
            Fthe  crease. The former  India                                                                       that the issue isn’t form so much as
            captain—celebrated  for  his  fierce                                                                  rhythm. Kohli, they argue, needs
            consistency and insatiable hunger                                                                     overs at the crease—something ear-
            for runs—has endured back-to-back                                                                     ly dismissals have denied him. “He
            ducks in Australia. In the glare of a                                                                 missed the line, not because of poor
            high-profile ODI series, Kohli’s lean                                                                 technique, but lack of time spent bat-
            patch has triggered debates about                                                                     ting,” Ashwin observed.
            form, footwork, and future. Yet, amid                                                                     The Australians, to their credit,
            the noise, two of India’s most respect-                                                               have targeted Kohli clinically. Bart-
            ed voices have struck a calmer tone:                                                                  lett’s subtle seam movement, backed
            keep faith, don’t panic, and let great-                                                               by tight field settings, has exposed a
            ness rediscover itself.                                                                               rare uncertainty in India’s linchpin.
                Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s                                                                      With the series already lost, all eyes
            senior all-rounder and one of crick-                                                                  now turn to the Sydney ODI, where
            et’s sharpest analysts, dissected                                                                     Kohli has historically flourished.
            Kohli’s dismissal with forensic clari-                                                                    Sydney has often been kind to
            ty on his YouTube channel. “Xavier                                                                    him—its true bounce and even pace
            Bartlett bowled two outswingers and                                                                   suit  his  driving  game.  A  fluent  in-
            then straightened the line to trap                                                                    nings there could silence  doubts  as
            Virat LBW,” he said. “That’s a gen-                                                                   quickly as they arose.
            uine pattern we often see with Rohit                                                                      Both Ashwin and Pathan see
            Sharma—baiting outside off before                                                                     Kohli’s struggle as part of a larger
            bringing one in.”                                                                                     story—one of transition, leadership,
                Ashwin noted that Kohli’s front-                                                                  and legacy. With younger talents
            foot movement told the real story.                                                                    emerging, India is entering a phase
            “He planted his foot in line but didn’t                                                               where its old guard must balance
            quite cover the movement. That                                                                        mentoring with performance. “The
            shows he isn’t in full rhythm yet,”                                                                   best thing Virat can do now,” Pathan
            he explained. “He needs time in the                                                                   said, “is stay calm, take that one good
            middle to find that fluency.”                                                                         innings, and let muscle memory take
                Kohli, dismissed twice in iden-                                                                   over.”
            tical  fashion by Bartlett, looked  a                     Virat Kohli (ANI file photo)                    Even in lean times, Kohli com-
            touch tentative—caught between                                                                        mands faith because of what he’s
            defending  and  flicking—an  unchar-  es—we haven’t seen that before,” he   He also cautioned that the   done  before.  His  intensity,  fitness,
            acteristic sight for a batter whose   said. “It could be pressure or rusti-  “sword of selection” can weigh heav-  and mental resilience have set bench-
            trademark balance once neutralized   ness, but Virat must not get desper-  ily.  With  young  opener  Yashasvi   marks for an entire generation. Two
            the best attacks in the world. Ashwin,   ate for that single. He needs to enjoy   Jaiswal waiting in the wings, Pathan   low scores won’t erase 15 years of ex-
            however, believes the issue is tempo-  batting again. Runs will come once   said the environment must stay sup-  cellence.
            rary. “Come Sydney, I see no reason   he does.”                     portive. “It’s not easy to play when   “Great players go through these
            why he won’t score. He’ll be thinking   Pathan’s  advice  reflected  em-  you feel the sword hanging over you.   phases,” Ashwin reminded viewers.
            deeply about these dismissals, and   pathy born of experience. “No one   I hope that’s not in Virat’s mind.”  “It’s part of the game. But when they
            he’ll find a way.”                plays forever, but these two—Rohit    Kohli’s dismissals underline a   find that one innings, the roar comes
                Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan   and Virat—have given so much to   familiar technical pattern. In the first   back louder.”
            offered the mental counterpart to   Indian cricket. Even if they play just   ODI, Bartlett drew him into play-  As India heads to Sydney, that’s
            Ashwin’s technical analysis. On his   a couple more years, we should cher-  ing  across  the  line;  in  the  second,   what the world awaits — not the end
            channel, Pathan urged Kohli to stay   ish it. The selectors should back them   he shaped two deliveries away be-  of an era, but perhaps the start of yet
            patient. “Two  ducks  in  two  match-  until the rhythm returns.”   fore nipping one back in. The right-  another Kohli comeback.

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