According to Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli’s recent low scores were not due to poor batting form, but rather due to getting out in the 30s and 40s. However, in the fourth and final Test against Australia on March 12, Kohli proved his critics wrong by scoring his 28th Test hundred off 241 balls at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
This was his first Test century since November 2019 when he played against Bangladesh. Additionally, Kohli scored his first Test fifty since January 2022 on the previous day of the match. The 34-year-old batsman went on to make 186 runs off 364 balls with 15 fours, before being dismissed by off-spinner Todd Murphy.
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As per Ashwin’s observation, it is crucial for India to have both Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli batting well, given their different approaches to the game.
Ravichandran Ashwin Speaks On His Chat With Virat Kohli
Ashwin while talking to Star Sports after the end of the Test series talked about the form of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara and how these players are very crucial for the national side.
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“Personally, Virat and I had a conversation after the Indore Test. Not that we both connect too often on such lines. But I personally felt, Virat was batting well, he was getting time and was getting out after getting 30s and 40s, It was always evident and it needed someone to put an arm around his shoulder and say, ‘you are batting brilliantly, you just need to hang in there for a bit and things are going to turn’. And it’s turned for me in my cricketing career as well,”
“I felt the big knock was around the corner. Even in the ODI series before this, Virat did play some of his wonderful knocks. Having him and Puji batting well together gives us a lot of advantage because one can eat up balls and the other has a real presence. As a cricketer, playing with them all these years, I know runs on the board are very important. And these two players along with Rohit, I can sit and watch them all day.”
With 25 wickets to his name, Ashwin emerged as the top wicket-taker of the series, earning him the joint Player of the Series award along with Ravindra Jadeja, who took 22 wickets as an all-rounder.
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