Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh noted that Virat Kohli paid special attention to his backfoot game in the practice session after his twin failures at Adelaide. After scoring an unbeaten 100 in the second innings at Perth, Kohli failed to continue his good form at Adelaide, returning with scores of 7 and 11.
Kohli failed to get his bat away in time when he was trying to leave the ball in the first innings against Mitchell Starc whereas he was once again troubled by Scott Boland on the fourth-fifth stump line in the second essay.
Singh said Kohli is a front foot player as he has played majority of his cricket on Indian pitches, which are not known for their extra bounce. However, the Turbanator highlighted that Kohli made a cautionary effort to get on the backfoot while training in the nets to get ready for the Brisbane Test.
“Yes, whatever little I have seen him batting in the nets today. I have played a lot of cricket with him. He is a front foot player. Knowing the bounce on Indian soil, you have to be on your front foot. The people who have played here, the likes of Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Langer, Hayden. They were good back foot players, because of the bounce. It is the kind of bounce you get in Australia, you have to be good player of bounce. You need to have a good backfoot game. That’s what he was practising,” Harbhajan tols Star Sports.
“Specifically I have noticed today. He was playing a lot of deliveries on the backfoot. He was going forward for the fuller ball but those balls which were slightly shorter than the length of full ball, he was either leaving or trying to play them. The ball from the back foot, he knows that Gabba will be a different wicket where he will get to face a lot of bounce and pace and that back foot game needs to be included in his game. Good to see him working on the game. I am sure, knowing Virat Kohli, we have seen him making a comeback after every setback,” he added.
The third Test match between India and Australia will be played at the Gabba, Brisbane from December 14.
