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Virat Kohli Weighing Down Indian Middle Order In Test Cricket? Here is What Stats Say

Virat Kohli [X]Virat Kohli [X]

India is taking on Bangladesh in the first of the two-match Test series at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. After the first two days, the home team is in an advantageous position.

Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of the Bangladesh team, won the toss and put India into bat. The Bangladesh bowlers did a great job on the morning of the first day and had India reeling at 34/3 inside the first ten overs.

The Indian top order failed to make any solid contribution; however, carried by the lower middle order, India posted a formidable total of 376 runs in their first innings.

The Indian bowlers came to the fray and restricted Bangladesh to 149 in the first innings. In the second innings of Indian batting, once more, the Indian top-order failed to contribute and were 67/3 before the day ended on 81/3.

The Virat Kohli Dilemma

While the contributions from the top order is a concern, the Indian management will be worried about the form of one of their best batters, Virat Kohli. In the two innings, Kohli scored 6 and 17, respectively. His form in the longest format of the game has been on the decline for the last couple of years, and it is weighing down the Indian batting.

Importance of Virat Kohli in the Batting Line-up

Virat Kohli generally bats at number four in Test cricket for India. This is a very important position in Test cricket; here are some reasons why:

  • The player batting at number four generally determines the pace and flow of an innings.
  • He is the link between the top order and middle order and is crucial in setting up the stage for the batters to follow, depending on how the top three have performed.

Performance of Indian Middle Order With and Without Kohli

Let us take a look at how the Indian middle order has performed in Test cricket from 2023 with and without Virat Kohli:

With Kohli

Maches
Runs
Average
101,43932.70

Without Kohli

Matches
Runs
Average
51,00738.70

While Virat Kohli has been one of the most prolific run-scorers for India for the past decade or so, the numbers clearly show that in the last year, the Indian middle-order has performed better in his absence.

The Importance of This Stat

This refers to Virat Kohli’s presence, making others less aware of their responsibilities. It shows the overdependence on the man and the negative return when he fails to deliver. In his absence, the newer players who have taken his place have done their best to make room for themselves on the Test team. As a result, we see a significant improvement in the average of the Indian middle order.

Virat Kohli’s Test future

This test season and Virat’s performance during it will go a long way in determining the future of Virat Kohli, the test player. There is no doubt that Virat Kohli is one of the classiest players in world cricket, and his contributions to Indian cricket can never be ignored or forgotten. However, if his lean patch continues, India might need to think ahead of him as keeping him on the side only because of his reputation will not only affect the team’s performance but will also block the path of the newer talents, who might have a greater impact in the middle-order than Kohli.

The Hope for a Resurgence

All said and done, Kohli is one of the best batters to have ever graced the game, and it will take him only one innings to get back to form in Test cricket. India cricket fans hope the knock will come sooner rather than later and Virat Kohli will emerge as one of India's top performers during this Test season.