Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has come to the defence of Virat Kohli, assuring fans that there’s no cause for concern despite Kohli’s recent struggles in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Kohli managed only 58 runs across three games, averaging 19.57, with a top score of 24. However, Karthik believes that the challenging pitches, particularly those favouring spinners, played a significant role in the Indian batsman’s performance.
Virat Kohli’s return turns to failure
Virat Kohli returned to the ODI side after retiring from T20Is following India’s T20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies. Unfortunately, he looked out of sorts during the Sri Lanka series, failing to find his rhythm.
According to Karthik, the pitches in Sri Lanka posed a considerable challenge for batsmen, especially when facing spinners. The semi-new ball between overs 8 and 30 made it particularly difficult. Karthik emphasized that this wasn’t unique to Kohli; even Rohit Sharma and other Indian batters struggled.
“It’s been a tough pitch to play spin in this series, let’s admit that first. Be it Virat Kohli, be it Rohit Sharma, or be it anyone else. With the slightly semi-new ball between overs about 8 to 30, it’s been hard work. It’s nothing to worry about,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.
“Not too many pitches work that way, but it’s been a tough pitch to play spinners. I’m not going to defend Virat Kohli here, but I can tell you that playing spin was very hard,” Karthik added.
#ViratKohli caught in spin web? 🧐#RohitSharma to #RCB? 😯@DineshKarthik shares his thoughts, on latest episode of #heyCB, here 👇 pic.twitter.com/qQP6yts1pJ
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) August 11, 2024
Despite India having a golden chance to take a 1-0 lead, Sri Lanka staged a comeback. Jeffrey Vandersay’s six-wicket haul in the second game and Dunith Wellalage’s five-wicket performance in the third game helped Sri Lanka secure their first ODI series win over India since 1997.
Also Read: Egypt joins the bid along with India and other nations to host the 2036 Olympics
