All Batsmen Looked Vulnerable, Why Blame Kohli Alone: Arun Lal
Kyle Jamieson dismissed Kohli in both innings. The Indian captain scored 57 runs during his two innings at Southampton
Mumbai: Ex-India cricketer Arun Lal has questioned the criticism of Team India captain Virat Kohli over his batting performance in the WTC final.
Lal stated that it would’ve been a “classy shot” had Kohli scored a boundary off Kyle Jamieson’s delivery on which he got dismissed during India’s second innings.
Also Read: To Get Rid Of Kohli As A Captain At The Moment Would Be An Absolute Crime: Swann
India reached the final day of the WTC with a lead of 32 runs and eight wickets. Although the Men in Blue could only set New Zealand a target of 139 runs, the Kiwis were ready to roll the ball for the victory, with Kohli getting out in the first hour of the game.
The way Kohli got out also grabbed some attention as he bowled a delivery wide outside the off-stump. It was just like what he did during his terrifying tour of England in 2014. But Arun Lal said it wasn’t really a bad shot.
The former India international and current Bengal coach told The Telegraph, “We can’t really say it was a bad shot. Your foot is two feet away from the ball and you still hit it for a boundary. Says this is a classy shot. But you miss a similar kind of ball and it takes the edge, people will then say, “No footwork, playing away from the body. Horrible shot”. That’s not the way you should deal with it. Besides, all our batsmen looked vulnerable against the Dukes ball. Why blame Virat alone?”
Kyle Jamieson dismissed Kohli in both innings. The Indian captain scored 57 runs during his two innings at Southampton.
Arun Lal, who unearthed Kyle Jamieson’s brilliant spell in the first hour of the game on Reserve Day, also talked about how Virat Kohli’s dismissal in the first innings played a role in his bowling in the second.
“Virat made a mistake, and that happens. There’s so much pressure on him, while the ball was also moving a lot in such conditions. Prior to that, he was covering for the ball that came in as he was lbw last time. Now, if you are unlucky, you will nick it. Besides, that was a very good spell by (Kyle) Jamieson (in the second innings).”
Team India will be keen to bounce back when they lock horns with England in a five-match Test series, starting in August.
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