After a seven-month hiatus from Test cricket, Indian batting legend Virat Kohli made his much-anticipated return in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh, being played in Chennai. However, Kohli’s comeback has been less than stellar, as he struggled to make an impact with the bat, falling to low scores in both innings. 

In both innings, Kohli faced challenges from Bangladesh’s bowlers, failing to assert his dominance as he has in the past. His struggles particularly highlighted issues with off-stump deliveries and off-spin, areas that have caused him problems in previous encounters.

Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri weighed in on the matter, suggesting that Kohli needs to be more accurate in his approach. Shastri emphasised the importance of adjusting one’s mindset. In the second innings, Virat Kohli lost his wicket to Mehidy Hasan Miraz as he was trying to play the ball towards the on side but was given lbw. However, replays showed that ball had edged bat first before hitting 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 commentary.

Shastri also talked about the tracks saying that in recent times, it hasn’t been easy for batters to bat on the tracks prepared for home Test matches . 

“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 said..