“It could be anyone who has to just turn up” - Sanjay Manjrekar’s brutal take on Virat Kohli during BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels Virat Kohli's outside off-stump issues have reached a point where any bowler can just turn up and deliver on that line and length to dismiss him. His remarks came after Kohli fell to the outside off-stump line for a seventh time in eight innings in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

After narrowly escaping a golden duck, Kohli fought hard before nicking to the slip cordon to be dismissed for 17 off 69 balls in Sydney. With his latest failure, the 36-year-old now averages a dismal 26.28 in the series with his unbeaten century in Perth being the lone 50+ score.

Speaking about his latest dismissal on Star Sports after play on Day 1 of the fifth Test in Sydney, Manjrekar said [via TOI]:

"You see the problem for Virat Kohli, it has actually compounded where it doesn't matter what the length is. He is still getting out to balls in that channel whether it's short or whether it's full. Earlier it was only the full deliveries that troubled him and the short of length balls he used to manage. But now just a bowler, it could be anyone who has to just turn up and bowl outside off and you got to feel for him because he has just run out of scoring options."

Kohli has endured a massive struggle in Tests since 2020, averaging under 30 in all but one of the last four seasons until 2024.

He has also scored only three centuries over his last 39 Tests, dating back to the start of the 2020 season.

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"Doesn't matter the length" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Virat Kohli

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: JAN 03 fifth NRMA Insurance Test - Source: Getty

Sanjay Manjrekar further made an observation on how Virat Kohli's outside off-stump woes have compounded over the years, with frailties expanding to even the good length deliveries instead of only the full balls.

The veteran batter struggled with the outside off-stump delivery in the 2014 tour of England against James Anderson. However, he rectified the issue and enjoyed incredible success from the end of 2014 until 2019.

"We saw that against Jimmy Anderson in 2014 in England. But if the balls were outside off that were full, the balls that he was driving at are the ones that he was getting out to. But now the problem has become so severe that all bowlers now have to do is to just bowl in that line on the fifth and sixth, doesn't matter the length," said Manjrekar.

He added:

"You've got to feel for the guy because his biggest strength, when he arrived on the international scene was the cover drive and now that has turned out to be the biggest weakness for him. It is a problem outside off."

Virat Kohli's low score meant India were bowled out for a paltry 185 in their first innings on Day 1 of the ongoing Sydney Test after deciding to bat first. In reply, Australia are 9/1 at stumps, with Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Usman Khawaja for the sixth time in the series.