Irfan Pathan opined that Virat Kohli’s struggles in the Perth ODI reminded him of the issues Kohli faced during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, blaming lack of match practice.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan felt that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s struggles in Perth were due to a lack of match practice and the mental fatigue lingering from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Both veterans returned to the ODI setup after long breaks but failed to make an impact in the series opener.
Rohit scored only eight, while Kohli registered a duck- his first on Australian soil. Pathan highlighted that the senior players appeared underprepared for Australian conditions, which demanded early adaptation through practice games. He also noted that India’s bowlers and batters struggled with bounce and lengths, contributing to the seven-wicket defeat.
“Fitness is one thing and game time is one thing. That is why Rohit looked a bit troubled. It looked like the demons of the BGT [Border-Gavaskar Trophy] were back for Virat. I hope this is not the case in Adelaide and Sydney. KL Rahul batted well today. Shreyas Iyer got into an awkward position. Maybe he can work a bit more on his technique. Axar does well whenever he gets an opportunity to bat ahead,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
“Whenever you tour such countries, it is always better to go early and play some games. It was going to be difficult for India. It was going to be a challenge as the conditions would not be easy. Our bowlers could not get the right lengths. The batters also had trouble with the bounce. If you had played a game or two, these mistakes would not have happened. It is important to think about these things going forward,” he added.
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In the match, India was bowled out for 136 in 26 overs, struggling to form partnerships. Australia cruised to a win in 21.1 overs, taking a 1-0 lead ahead of the Adelaide ODI on October 23.
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