Virat Kohli faces a significant challenge with deliveries outside the off-stump. Throughout the four innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he has been dismissed by edging balls pitched on the fourth or fifth stump. The reasons behind Kohli's persistent attempts to play these deliveries remain known only to him, yet it is evident that time is of the essence. Even a player of Kohli's caliber appears to struggle with this issue. At the age of 36, while his fitness is exemplary, it is his reflexes and muscle memory that are increasingly crucial.

In practice sessions, Kohli demonstrates proficiency. However, once the match commences, he reverts to the troubling pattern of nicking those challenging outside off-stump deliveries. This recurring issue has cost India dearly, prompting former Indian cricketer Devang Gandhi, who has experience coaching Delhi's Ranji Trophy and Bengal Under-19 teams, to suggest that it is time for the coaching staff to intervene. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant batting coach Abhishek Nayar should dedicate time to work with Kohli to address this persistent problem effectively. Nevertheless, this task may not be as straightforward as it seems, considering both coaches are relatively new to their roles.

"It would be simplistic to place blame on Nayar or Gambhir, as they have only recently joined the system. To provide guidance or suggestions to a player, one must first establish a rapport, which takes time. Only after building mutual trust can effective solutions be proposed. At this level, the player's mental framework plays a significant role," Gandhi remarked to PTI.

"Observing his training videos available to the public, it is clear that he is executing the correct techniques. During practice, he keeps the bat close to his body. However, in match situations, his hands instinctively reach for those deliveries outside off-stump, akin to a conditioned reflex or muscle memory. When his bat strays from his body, the bat face tends to open towards cover. This issue is particularly pronounced with the white ball, where the tendency to play through the line becomes problematic."

'Honest conversations are necessary'

"What solution can Gambhir or Nayar possibly give, apart from telling him to not play those deliveries? After 30 Test hundreds, Virat doesn't need to be told that but at 36, does he have that patience to accept that now if he scores a hundred, it will be off 200 balls and not 140 like earlier times? Can he bide those extra 60 balls? It's about controlling the mind. You can be a sounding board for players like Tendulkar and Kohli but at this stage, you can't coach them. Coaching happens at junior level," Gandhi added.

"Of course, at some point, honest conversations are necessary. But first, they should ask him what his corrective options are and then offer their own if they have something different to contribute."

Gandhi's thoughts were echoed by another former India cricketer, who believes that although Gambhir is a two-time World Cup winner and a very successful ODI and Test batter, even he is not assured of being 100 percent correct. "Not all great players or players of repute happen to be great coaches. They might have done some incredible things as players and knew what to do and how to react during a particular situation. But coaching is science and not many can tell why certain things need to be done. Even Gautam used to play with hard hands and dab towards slips in Australia and England.

"You can still work with younger guys, but difficult to mould the older ones who don't get enough time to work on their game in a packed calendar."

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