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Virat Kohli is going through perhaps the worst phase of his international career. India’s batting sensation looked on top of the world before he landed in England after which things took a turn for the worse.
And one man, who has caused Kohli the maximum pain, is England pace bowler James Anderson.
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Kohli has literally become a walking wicket for Anderson in the ongoing Test series, falling to the pacer four times out of his six innings.
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Anderson seems to have identified a chink in Kohli’s technique especially his weakness outside the off-stump, having scalped him caught behind the wickets on all the four occasions he has dismissed him in this series.
How Anderson has dismissed Kohli in Tests:
|
Venue |
Month & Year |
How out |
Runs |
vs Anderson |
|
Kolkata |
Dec 2012 |
Caught at second slip |
6 (24) |
0,0,1,0,0,4,W |
|
Lord’s |
Jul 2014 |
Caught behind |
25 (34) |
0,0,W |
|
Southampton |
Jul 2014 |
Caught at first slip |
39 (75) |
0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,W |
|
Manchester |
Aug 2014 |
Caught at first slip |
0 (2) |
0,W |
|
Manchester |
Aug 2014 |
Caught at second slip |
7 (11) |
0,4,1,0,0,0,W |
Overall, Anderson has snapped up Kohli five times, while conceding just 30 runs in 111 deliveries out of which 92 were dot balls.
Kohli's record against Anderson in Tests:
|
Balls |
111 |
|
Dots |
92 |
|
1s |
6 |
|
2s |
1 |
|
3s |
2 |
|
4s |
4 |
|
6s |
0 |
|
Runs |
30 |
|
Dismissals |
5 |
|
Avg |
6.00 |
|
SR |
27.02 |
After the retirement of the senior players in the last few years, Kohli has become one of India's most dependable players having scored runs across all formats.
But his only problem area has been scoring runs away from home in Test cricket, having made 970 runs in 15 Tests at an average of 34 as compared to 859 runs in 13 matches at home at an average of 50.
Kohli's record in Tests (Home and away):
|
|
Mts |
Inns |
Runs |
Avg |
100s |
50s |
|
at home |
13 |
20 |
859 |
50.53 |
3 |
6 |
|
abroad |
15 |
29 |
970 |
34.64 |
3 |
3 |
|
TOTAL |
28 |
49 |
1829 |
40.64 |
6 |
9 |
The England series has been proved to be one of the low points of Kohli’s career. He has managed just 108 runs in eight innings at an average of 13 with a highest of 39.
With India trailing 1-2 with just one match to go, India need Kohli more than ever to come out of his bad patch and lead the team to a series-levelling victory in the fifth and final match at the Oval.
As former England captain Michael Vaughan rightly noted: "It is not easy being touted as the next Sachin Tendulkar. Clearly for him to become a world-renowned player he has to score more runs overseas, but I have been amazed at how fragile he looks going to the crease."
Image: James Anderson (left) celebrates after taking the wicket of Virat Kohli
Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images