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Abhishek Nayar feels Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will make runs once they get a good start.
India vs Australia: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the 4th Test (AP)
India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar feels that senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma getting back to form is just a matter of ’25–30 balls’.
The two senior India batters have not been in the best of touches in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After missing the first Test in Perth, Rohit has managed scores of 3, 6, and 10. Kohli, on the other hand, has recorded scores of 7, 11, and 3 after his 81st international hundred in the first Test of the five-match series.
Ahead of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Abhishek Nayar revealed that Kohli and Rohit had multiple discussions on how to stay longer at the crease.
“Often, for an experienced player, although Virat scored a hundred in the Boxing Day Test, discussions are focused on the specific challenges of that game. Every player has a weakness, and they will inevitably get out in some way or another. The key is to stay in the zone where you can score runs. I feel it’s about confidence and getting a good start. When a player gets a start, his game looks entirely different,” Nayar was quoted as saying at the press conference after Day 1 of the 4th Test.
“Virat and Rohit are both the type of players who need to play 25–30 balls to settle, after which you see the same Rohit and Virat in full flow. This is a game of confidence. The more you practice and discuss, the better prepared you are. It is crucial to survive those initial 25–30 balls. Our discussions and preparations are centred around that,” Nayar added.
Ahead of the match, Rohit and Kohli were spotted leaving deliveries that were anywhere near the off-side or the fourth-stump line while batting in the nets.
Kohli’s record at the MCG has seen him amass 316 runs in three Tests, coming at an average of 52.66. Rohit too will be back to his favoured batting position at the top of the order.
