Virat Kohli once again fell victim to a similar dismissal in Sydney, much to the dismay of Irfan Pathan. The former Indian all-rounder criticized Kohli after he was dismissed while attempting to play a wide delivery. Kohli, aged 36, scored 17 runs before losing his wicket to an outside off-stump delivery from Scott Boland in the 32nd over.

Kohli had a narrow escape on his first delivery when he appeared to edge the ball, prompting celebrations from the Australian team as Steve Smith believed he had taken a catch. However, third umpire Joel Wilson ruled that Smith had made contact with the ground, granting Kohli a second chance. Unfortunately, he was unable to capitalize on this opportunity.

Irfan Pathan remarked that Kohli is repeatedly committing the same errors. He emphasized that Kohli must exhibit greater discipline if he aims to succeed in Test cricket.

“He is an exceptional player, yet he continues to make the same mistakes. The intervals between these errors should be significantly longer. That is the hallmark of great players, which he has not demonstrated. He has faced nearly six dismissals in this series against pace deliveries outside the off-stump, whether playing from the front or back foot or while attempting aerial shots,” Pathan stated on Star Sports.

“Today, he could have easily left that delivery, as it was well outside the line. It ultimately comes down to discipline. Those who draw comparisons to legends like Sachin Tendulkar should recognize that Virat Kohli must learn to leave balls outside off-stump and demonstrate that discipline,” he concluded.

Tendulkar possessed a wide array of skills

Irfan Pathan, during his commentary, highlighted Sachin Tendulkar's extensive repertoire of shots, noting that while Virat Kohli possesses the ability to execute similar strokes, he currently appears hesitant to do so.

Pathan remarked, "Sachin Tendulkar showcased a wide array of shots, including the cut and uppercut, yet Virat seldom employs these techniques. It is not that he is incapable; rather, he seems unwilling to attempt them. This reluctance leads him to favour drives or to defend deliveries pitched on the sixth or seventh stumps. Consequently, he often edges the ball and finds himself dismissed."

Since the commencement of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, both fans and cricket analysts have been urging Kohli to draw inspiration from Tendulkar's performance in Sydney in 2004, where he refrained from playing any cover drives and left all deliveries outside the off stump.

Nevertheless, Kohli has struggled to adopt this approach, frequently flashing at balls outside the off stump. Despite achieving a century in the second innings of the Border-Gavaskar opener in Perth, his overall performance has been disappointing, with scores of 5, 7, 11, 3, 36, 5, and 17 in the subsequent seven innings.

In the Sydney Test, India was dismissed for 185 runs, with Scott Boland claiming four wickets. At the end of the day's play, Australia had scored 9 runs for the loss of 1 wicket, still trailing by 176 runs.

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