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India completed a dominant win over England in the third and final ODI of the three-match series and eventually won it 2-1. Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya were the two protagonists of the comprehensive win. While Pant smashed a fearless century (125*), his first-ever in ODIs, Pandya took four wickets and scored a half-century.
Before the ODI series win, India also completed a 2-1 win in a three-match T20I series. Captain Rohit Sharma was elated with the team’s performance in the six white-ball games and said the team achieved its goal to an extent. But, while there were plenty of positives to look at for India from this England tour, Virat Kohli’s wretched run in international cricket remained one of the concerns for India to address before the T20 World Cup in October.
Kohli, who has not scored a century since November 2019, completed 78 international innings without a three-figure score when he feathered an outside off-stump delivery from Reece Topley into Jos Buttler’s hand. The 33-year-old scored who was expected to break the shackles in the 50-over format scored 17 (21) and 16 (25) in the two ODIs he played.
His way of dismissal was pretty much similar in both games, tickling with balls outside the off-stump. Amid Kohli’s struggles with the bat, many have advised Kohli to rework his technique. Meanwhile, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar just wants 20 minutes with Kohli to share his advice. Gavaskar said that he just wants to tell Kohli about things that need to be done to end his struggles with the off-stump line.
"If I had about 20 minutes with him, I would be able to tell him the things he might have to do. It might help him, I am not saying it will help him but it could, particularly with regards to that off-stump line," Gavaskar told India Today. "Having been an opening batter, having been troubled by that line, there are certain things that you try and do. If I get 20 minutes with him, I might be able to tell him."
Be patient with him!
The legendary India batter also urged everyone to be patient with Kohli and don’t rush things with him. Gavaskar said that many have struggled in the past and have overcome it. The former India captain also cited the contributions Kohli has made to Indian cricket over the years across all formats and said that such greats are allowed a few failures.
"I think we just have to wait and see when he comes back, whether it helps or not helps. As I said, he is allowed a few failures, look at his record for India, 70 international hundreds. I mean, he has got runs in all formats of the game, in all conditions," Gavaskar added.
"Let's be patient, let's not rush things. We, somehow in India, hurry once a player reaches 32, 33, we all the time, look to push him out of the team when they have so much more to contribute. Let's be patient with Kohli as well. All these greats who have served Indian cricket are allowed a few failures."