Irfan Pathan Statement: Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan opened up on star batter Virat Kohli and offered him a piece of advice after he went on to ducks in two consecutive games against Australia in a three-match ODI series. Irafn feels that the star batter should stay patient and trust his game instead of focusing on making runs.
In the first ODI, he was trapped in the spell of Mitchell Starc, and in the second, by the pacer Xavier Bartlett, who dismissed Virat Kohli with his clever spell.
Irfan Pathan Statement On Virat Kohli Consecutive Ducks
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Irfan Pathan said,
“Virat Kohli, two ducks in two matches—we have not seen it before. It could be because of pressure, rustiness, and everything. Whatever chatter is ongoing on social media about these two (Rohit and Virat), these two players mustn’t get affected by it. No one will play if they don’t perform. But they have done wonderful work for India. They need support and persistence from selectors till the runs and the right rhythm come. It would be really important.”
“I know it is difficult since Yashasvi Jaiswal is on the sidelines. It is not easy to play when the sword is hanging over you. I hope this is not in Virat’s mind. In the first match, he got out to an outside off-stump delivery. He thought, with three slips in place, would I be given outside off-stump deliveries? The ball came in a bit, and he tried playing his favorite flick shot and got beaten there. The gap (between bat and pad) while playing flick was so big, I’ve never seen something like that from him.”
“Virat Kohli Should Not Get Desperate…”: Irfan Pathan
Further, he said,
“How can Virat get out of it? Virat would want to make sure to get that single and get off strike. But he should not get desperate. I hope for that one single; he would not get desperate and stop enjoying his batting. He has to enjoy his batting. If he does that, he will get more time at the crease, and if he gets runs, he will not look back. ODI is his favorite format.”
“I appeal to the fans: these two, if they play one year or two years more, play the World Cup, or don’t play much—no matter how much cricket they play, it is time to enjoy their cricket because they have given Indian cricket so much. We would hope they play as much as possible. Hope Virat gets in form soon in the next match. He can struggle like Rohit did today, but he can also regain his rhythm and showcase his craft gradually. Don’t get desperate for that single; runs will come.”
“Rohit Sharma Showcased His Fitness”: Irfan Pathan
Talking about former Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, he appreciated his 73 knocks off 97 balls in the second ODI. He said,
“Even though he struggled, this knock would give him more satisfaction than anything else. He was prepared for that struggle. He showcased his fitness too while surviving that run-out attempt. As of late, he has batted at a strike rate of 120-130, but his SR till 60 balls has been around 50. You could feel that a more free-flowing knock would have benefitted India, but this would give him a lot of satisfaction.”
Although now India has lost the series by losing the first two matches against Australia, so the last match result won’t have any impact on the series. The last match of the series will be played between India and Australia on October 25, Saturday, at the Adelaide Oval.
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