On a hot Brisbane afternoon, after batting longer than any other Indian, Virat Kohli left the nets with two of his bats, and as he neared the shade of the tent he struck with another. The net session two days before the third Test was very interesting. It’s not like he’s had an Ashes session, but for a batsman who once said “batting is 70% technique”, his approach was fascinating.
The nets are out at the Gabba, not far from the public road, not far from the statue of Alan Border, frozen in a fierce cover drive. Incidentally, Kohli’s barely seen shot into the net. In the past, if he did not run for some time, his back leg would be semi-frozen. Now in Australia, certainly at the Brisbane Nets, they were dancing away, moving with frenzy, but this came with its own set of problems.
His first movement was backward and a touch upward, like an angry blur, but he would then try to move forward, dropping his front shoulder forward. The time available to him to complete that movement was obviously very short. Before releasing the bowler or throw-down specialist, as might be the case in the nets, he would push back and while the ball was in the air, he would try to push forward. Short balls were no problem. Really full delivery was no problem. A good-length in between was throwing tough questions at him. Throw down specialists led by Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammad Siraj or nippy skiddy Aakash Deep or Raghu.
Most of the time, the balls were against him even as he moved forward. It seemed to annoy him, and he would shake his head or mumble something as the ball caught him on the edge.
It was a very intense Kohli there, totally focused on the task at hand, totally intent on nailing down his technique for the Test. Whether it was jumping from one net to another, others taking a break, or going under the shade of a tent, he took frequent stunts. In the end, only he’ll know if he’s happy with the way it all panned out.
It’s hard to watch Pat Cummins and co. Bowling too short wastes too many balls. It is equally difficult for them to offer complete deliveries. If the balls are behind the length, Kohli is forced to push, punch, tap – just like he does in the nets. What does he do to the classic Josh Hazlewood delivery that goes straight through the length? That’s going to be his main test, and judging by his reactions on the net, he knows it.
Often, after being pushed back, when trying to move forward, he would land on his feet – not an ideal position for him. He likes to be balanced on his toes, which gives him great balance and gets his head over the ball. In the past, he explained how a batsman should be in a position to move forward and push back when needed. At least on the evidence of the net he seems to be trying something different for Brisbane now.
Push back first, then push forward. But the time window is so short that when the ball hits the in-between length and straightens, he is playing it on the move. There were two times when Bumrah got him out, but that was early in the tenure. It was against throwdown specialist Raghu that, almost two hours later in his final stint, an internal battle would pop out. He would punch and tap, but sometimes he had the opportunity to move and catch on the edge. He looked at the thrower and suggested a quick slip or shape to the ball. Raghu would barely shake his head, say something and take it back for the same.
This sparked a thought: would a younger Kohli have been able to push that micro-second faster? It’s hard to say as he still looks as fit as any other young Indian player out there. Perhaps, the younger Kohli would not have attempted this approach in the first place. He stands well outside the crease, he moves towards the off stump, he presses forward, he opens his stance, he puts that front foot down the pitch towards the bowler – Kohli has dabbled with them all successfully. the past His game has never been static, but instead has evolved into a dynamic that makes tweaks as the situations he finds himself in demand.
Now, he seems to have decided that back-and-forth is the way to go for him. This view of the drone will be like watching him on a treadmill. All that furious energy that brings him back to the same spot, but batsmen think about that initial movement and their position at the crease when the ball arrives the most.
Next to him, Shubman Gill used to move behind and then stay there. KL Rahul will try to lean forward a touch if anything. Yashasvi Jaiswal was trying to be as balanced as possible with a small strike. Nitish Reddy was inside the crease, punching up. Rishabh Pant stood out with his wide stance, trying not to move too much when he drives or punches. Rohit Sharma continued his Adelaide method of standing at the crease and trying to get forward. Sunil Gavaskar had commented that Rohit should probably do some exercise and run when he gets to the crease – just to get that energy and speed going. Not sure if he read that comment or not, but Rohit used to run into bat every time it was his turn.
No one can criticize this batting unit for not trying, for sweating hard on their individual plans ahead of the third Test. They were all focused, each in their own batting bubble, trying hard, intensely. Whether it works or not remains to be seen.
Kohli’s effort in particular was fascinating to watch. A test grater is trying something new, trying to iron out mistakes, trying to nail down your game before an important encounter. He still has one day to master this technique. It is an optional day, and usually few batsmen go easy. Will he sweat as hard as Thursday? Potentially, another net stint is available before judgment day at Gabbatoir.