Arshdeep Singh Hails Virat Kohli’s Greatness After Perth Duck

Arshdeep Singh backs Virat Kohli after rare ODI duck in Perth as he returned after long in the national jersey.

India pacer Arshdeep Singh has brushed aside concerns about Virat Kohli’s form after the veteran batter’s rare failure in the first ODI against Australia at Perth Stadium.

Kohli, returning to international cricket after more than seven months, was dismissed for a duck off eight balls by Mitchell Starc. It was his first-ever ODI duck in Australia. India went on to lose the rain-hit match by seven wickets (DLS method), giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

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Arshdeep, who took the new ball alongside Mohammed Siraj and dismissed Travis Head early, said Kohli’s class remains unquestionable.

“He has played over 300 ODIs. For him, form is just a word,” Arshdeep told reporters. “It’s a blessing to share the dressing room with him. I’m sure he’ll score a lot of runs in the next games. He has mastered this format.”

Talking about his own bowling approach, the left-arm pacer said adapting between formats is key. “In ODIs, the mindset is different from T20s. You need patience and have to bowl red-ball lengths early on,” he explained. “At the death, you switch to a T20 mindset. I keep learning how to bowl depending on the wicket and situation.”

It was also Shubman Gill’s first match as India’s ODI captain after replacing Rohit Sharma. Arshdeep praised Gill’s leadership style.

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“Both Rohit and Shubman are bowlers’ captains,” he said. “They give us freedom and back our plans. Even today, Shubman told us to bowl freely and enjoy the game. It’s just the start, and I’m sure he’ll do really well.”