Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden dissect Virat Kohli's comeback knock in Perth Test

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Virat Kohli silenced his critics with a masterful century in the Perth Test, showcasing his ability to adapt and overcome challenges. Minor technical tweaks, particularly in his stance and shot selection, helped him rediscover his vintage form and play a part in India's memorable victory.

In Short

• Virat Kohli hit his 30th Test hundred in Perth against Australia
• Kohli proved his naysayers wrong with reutrn to vintage form
• India won the Perth Test by 295 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar series

Even the greats of the game need time to take a step back, reassess, and reinvent. Virat Kohli is no different. In the lead-up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth, murmurs of doubt surrounded him.

Virat Kohli had endured a rough patch with the red ball in 2024, exacerbated by a shocking 0-3 home Test series defeat to New Zealand earlier in November. His struggles against spin on turning tracks had raised unsettling questions about his place in the side, with some even suggesting India should look beyond the 35-year-old in Tests.

Those questions only grew louder when Kohli fell for 5 in the first innings in Perth. Playing well out of his crease and crouching low, Kohli could not handle the extra bounce after a Josh Hazlewood delivery kicked off from a good length. It was a moment emblematic of his broader struggles, his once-mighty confidence seemingly sapped.

However, it did not take long for Virat Kohli to rethink his approach. In fact, he needed only a day to make some minor adjustments that led to the glorious hundred in the second innings in Perth. With the pitch easing out a bit after 20 wickets fell for just 254 runs in the first innings, Kohli made hay when the sun shone in Perth.

Virat Kohli’s second-innings masterclass was built on adjustments both mental and technical.

WHAT DID KOHLI CHANGE?

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar, reflecting on Kohli’s innings, noted the visible difference in his approach.

“His body was completely relaxed when he came into bat in the second innings. In the first innings, he came out to bat when India had lost two early wickets, he might have been under pressure. In the second innings, I think he gave himself a little more time to play the ball and, apart from the wider stance, I think he allowed himself to play the bounce by being a little bit more upright,” Gavaskar told the broadcasters at the end of the Perth Test.

Kohli’s issues were well-documented. Playing away from his body had left him vulnerable, particularly on pitches with seam and bounce like Perth. He mastered the art of taking guard well outside the crease, especially on his previous tours to Australia. When he was at his prime, Kohli seemingly had that extra second to deal with the bounce and sideways movement. We saw glimpses of that when he batted in South Africa last year, getting good starts in the two Tests India played there.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden weighed in, highlighting how Kohli made the correction, especially after having stayed low while batting in the subcontinent against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

He also noted how Kohli was able to cover the line of the ball and drive on the leg side, thanks to a slightly wider stance.

“I think Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar) made that point (with a slightly more upright stance). I think it’s a very good point. The reverse can be said of someone going to India and staying low. I think by being a little more upright, your head position is right — staying on top of the bounce and being able to work the ball around from under your sight. I said from the start that I liked him batting more in line with the ball. I think that’s a good strategy. We saw some classic cases where he was able to work the ball through mid-wicket. You can’t do that batting outside the off-stump. Getting into the line was important.”

Taking a leaf out of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s playbook — the young opener had earlier hit a stunning 161 in his maiden Test Down Under, relying heavily on back-foot play and scoring behind square — Kohli focused on staying compact and scoring in the V. The upright stance allowed him to play the ball under his eyes.

This tactical evolution bore fruit as Kohli unfurled a series of trademark drives, much to the delight of the packed crowds in Perth. His straight and cover drives were a throwback to his vintage form, and his mid-wicket strokes had even Gavaskar waxing lyrical.

“I like that mid-wicket boundary that he hit off Hazlewood. That, to me, is not the easiest of shots. I think a straight drive is a little more easy, that’s not easy. Just to open up a little bit and play that shot, that was great.”

FINE-TUNING STRENGTHS AND ADDING TO THE ARMOURY

Kohli’s timing, Hayden observed, was impeccable, a sign of his mental and physical alignment.

“You’re never going to change the fact he is going to try and take the ball early. He is always going to be in front of himself. But, when you know he’s got the timing — when the body movement is right — he starts to play great on drives. When you think about the action of the on-drive, where do you take the ball? Not behind the body, but in front of your body. That’s his strength.”

Virat Kohli was even willing to play reverse sweeps against Australia’s lone spinner Nathan Lyon. In fact, he got to his hundred with a sweep.

Explaining the importance of reinventing even at the latter stages of one’s career, Gavaskar, speaking to India Today, said: “Very seldom have you seen him use the reverse sweep. And it also tells you that as your experience grows, you do not tend to stick to what you know. That is also good. But you can widen and increase the repertoire of your shots. And that is what he's doing, and which is going to be fantastic not just for him, but for the teams that he plays for. Because now you know when, earlier on, people used to say, why keep a backward point for him? Now because he's playing the reverse sweep, they will need a man over there. They would keep a square leg towards mid-wicket because he would play the pull shot, but not the sweep shot. Now you know where are you going to stop him?”

As pundits predicted, Virat Kohli certainly seems to feel more at home on bouncy pitches in Australia. The records — 1,457 runs in 14 matches at an average of 53 — speak for themselves.

The Perth Test was more than just a statistical milestone or a clinical correction of flaws. It was a statement. A resounding declaration from a champion who refuses to be written off, and who thrives on the toughest challenges.

“It is (a big moment for him). If Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal, they are title winners. If they lose in the semi-final, we will say they are not in form. We would say ‘Oh what a wonderful performance’ if anybody else reached the semi-finals. Similarly, with Virat Kohli, because everybody is so used to him reeling off hundreds so regularly when he doesn’t score a hundred, people say he is not scoring runs. When a lot of others score even 70-80, people are very happy,” Gavaskar said.

Well put, ain’t it?