"His technique is not made for the new ball" - Cheteshwar Pujara on Virat Kohli's dismissal in BGT 2024-25 3rd Test

Cheteshwar Pujara has noted that Virat Kohli has fallen cheaply whenever India have lost early wickets in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. He pointed out that the modern batting great's technique is not attuned to playing the new ball.

Kohli managed only three runs as India were reduced to 51/4 in their first innings on Day 3 (Monday, December 16) of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane. The hosts were bowled out for 445 earlier in the day.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Pujara attributed Kohli's indifferent run in the ongoing BGT to India's top-order failures.

"We were discussing that he has been forced to play the new ball. He has gotten out whenever he has played the new ball. When he played the old ball, he scored a hundred in Perth. So that's also a very big point," he said.

"His technique is not made for the new ball. His batting should come after 10, 15 or 20 overs. If he plays the new ball, the bowlers are fresh, and their confidence is also high. When they get two wickets, the entire team is charged up. So when you come to bat at that stage, it's not easy," Pujara added.

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 in India's second innings of the first Test in Perth when Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul stitched together a 201-run opening partnership. He has aggregated a paltry 26 runs, including three single-digit scores, in his other four innings.

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"It's not a good thing" - Cheteshwar Pujara on Virat Kohli's modes of dismissals

Virat Kohli was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood in India's first innings of the Brisbane Test. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, Cheteshwar Pujara pointed out that Virat Kohli has been unable to replicate what he has been practising in the nets during the game.

"When the bowling is happening in just one area, on the fourth to sixth stump, and he is playing that and getting out, it's not a good thing. He understands that himself. We saw in the net session as well that he was leaving balls in that area, but that execution is not happening in the match," he said.

The veteran India batter added that Kohli needs a bigger mental adjustment than a technical one.

"In the match, for some reason, he wants to leave the ball but is unable to, and the bat is going there. So he will have to stop himself. He will have to change his mindset. There is a technical part that you are playing a delivery outside off-stump. However, if you have to leave the same delivery, it's not a very big technical adjustment but he needs to make a bigger mental adjustment," Pujara observed.

All four of Kohli's dismissals in the ongoing series against Australia have been to catches behind the wickets. He has been dismissed twice by Josh Hazlewood and once each by Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.