'Don’t be afraid to go over the top': Shastri's advice to Kohli

Chennai, Sep 21 (IANS) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that star batter Virat Kohli shouldn't be afraid of using his feet and playing aerial shots against the spinners when the field is up.

Shastri's remark came after Kohli lost his wicket to spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the second innings of the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. Kohli, who was loooking in good rhythm, was trapped in front of the wickets on the ball that pitched on the middle stump line. Kohli departed after scoring 17 as he didn't take the DRS which later showed that the ball had edged his bat before hitting the pads.

"He has (gotten out to spinners) especially in the last 2-3 years. But he has scored a lot of runs too. What you want to see him do more is use his feet. Get to the pitch of the ball, probably employ the sweep. You’ve got to move with the times, don’t be afraid to go over the top when the field is up. You could try and do things to unsettle the spinners rather than allowing him to keep bowling at you. It’s what he did a lot when he scored a lot of runs," Shastri said during the match commentary.

"Also some of the tracks that India have played on. It’s not been easy. Plus I know a few dismissals where like Shubman Gill in the first innings, he’s gotten caught down leg wide. Funny dismissals. He’ll be aware of it. That’s for sure. There is no batter who doesn’t remember. Obviously you find a method of finding a solution. Find out what works for you and stick with that," he added.

Kohli, who only got six runs in the first innings, has been struggling to pile runs on home soil in Test cricket since the last two years. Former captain has only scored one century in the last six Tests in India. However, his last Test century came against West Indies in Port of Spain last year.

Since 2021, Kohli has played 14 Test matches in Asia, scoring 654 runs from 23 innings at an average of 29.72, with one century and two half-centuries to his name. His overall Test performance has dipped during this period, accumulating just 1669 runs from 51 innings at an average of 32.72, with eight half-centuries and two hundreds.

Kohli will be eager to improve these numbers as India prepare for upcoming series against New Zealand and Australia, where his experience will be vital for the team's success.

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