Virat Kohli not in right frame of mind: Aakash Chopra on former captain's 4-ball 8 in 1st ODI vs West Indies
Virat Kohli was dismissed cheaply in the 1st ODI against West Indies on Sunday.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Virat Kohli doesn't look in the right frame of mind amidst his struggle with the willow. Kohli has been far from his best in his recent outings for the Indian team and has failed to attain the consistency that he was once known for. The former India skipper endured yet another batting failure in the first ODI against West Indies on Sunday.
On Sunday, India were asked to chase a moderate target of 177 runs in the first ODI against West Indies after spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar ran riot with the ball. Opening the innings with Ishan Kishan, skipper Rohit Sharma got India off to a flying start. Rohit slammed a 51-ball 60 and added 84 runs for the first wicket with Ishan (28).
Kohli came out to bat at number three after Rohit dismissal. The stage was set for the batting maestro to take control of the run-chase and take India home comfortably. However, Kohli managed a short stay out in the middle as he was dismissed by pacer Alzarri Joseph after scoring 8 runs off just 4 balls.
Chopra reckoned Kohli was in a hurry and doesn't look in the right frame of the mind while approaching his innings. The cricketer-turned commentator said Kohli played some extravagant shots during his stay out in the middle in the first ODI, which he usually refrains from at the start of his innings.
"He came out as if he was in a hurry. The first ball he tried something, the second ball he tried something else. These are extravagant shots that you don’t expect Kohli to play," said Chopra on ESPNCricinfo.
"That four-ball innings was very surprising. It perhaps tells you that he is not exactly in the right frame of mind because technically you can't falter after a 4-ball innings," he added.
Chopra also spoke about Kohli's batting approach during the ODI series against South Africa last month and said he didn't look at his best despite scoring a decent amount of runs in the three matches. Kohli had notched up 116 runs in the three games.
"If you talk about aptitude or caliber, there’s no doubt. So what’s the problem? Even in South africa he looked a different batter. But personally, I wasn’t 100% convinced that this is the Virat Kohli at his very best. He didn’t look like that. Scored runs, but not the prettiest," said Chopra.
This 4 ball innings reflected that he is not mentally completely there," he added.
Despite a poor outing for Kohli, India managed to beat West Indies comfortably by six wickets in the first ODI to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The former India skipper will be looking to bounce back to form when the two teams lock horns in the second ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.