Why shouldn't Kohli play the Big Expansive Drive?
Kohli is aesthetic while playing the Cover Drive. But is he safe playing the shot?
Virat Kohli averages 52.92 in Tests (as of 17 Feb 2021) & is one of the rarest breed of Cricketers to average 50-plus in all three forms of the game in International Cricket. When you ask a Cricket fan, what do you like the most in the way Virat Kohli bats, their first answer would be a Cover Drive. In fact, Sunil Gavaskar on air exclaimed that nobody plays the Extra Cover Drive better than Virat Kohli during the Delhi ODI between India and Australia in 2019. Is Kohli the safest player of the cover drive? Let’s look into it.
Since the start of 2018, the Indian Captain amassed 1413 Test runs outside India in the 17 Tests he played and has been the most important batsman in the Team. The Cover Drive against pacers has brought his dismissal more often than not after doing the hard work in most of his innings. Let’s have a quick glance at them.
1) JOHANNESBURG 2018
The Indian Skipper started off the innings with a booming cover drive off Rabada & was looking in good control on a treacherous track that offered uneven bounce. He raced away to his fifty with some solid drives & had India at 97/2 after walking in as early as 13/2. Team India looked in command before the Skipper opted to play another drive off Ngidi. This time the ball took the outside edge & went straight to AB at second slip. Kohli lived by the sword and also died by it. Such is his Cover Drive - A doubly edged sword. Although Team India went on to win the Test, Kohli was once again caught driving against a delivery in the 6th stump or wider line.
2) SOUTHAMPTON 2018
India were 142/2 with a well set Pujara - Kohli steadying the ship and were 104 behind England’s first innings total. The partnership was going smooth without any trouble then Kohli gifted his wicket against the run of the play. He chased a delivery wide of off & nicked to slips. Team India lost 6 wickets for 53 runs since then. When it all looked like India were having a firm hold on the game, they ended with 27-run lead by virtue of a Pujara’s majestic 132*. India went on to lose the test & Kohli’s shot selection against a wide of off delivery raised eyebrows of many fans. It also happened to be a series changing moment
3) OVAL 2018
Having won the series already, England dished the most batting friendly deck of the series for the dead rubber at the Kia Oval. Jimmy Anderson blew up Indian batting line-up by dismissing the mainstays Pujara & Rahane with an outstanding spell. Kohli managed well to survive the spell of Anderson and was on the verge of another fifty. Out of nowhere, when the partnership was going good, Kohli tried driving Stokes’ wide of off delivery through the covers. It took the edge & went to the slips. All the hard work done against Anderson was outdone by a harmless wide of off delivery against Stokes. What was the shot? COVER DRIVE.
4) ADELAIDE 2018
On a fresh morning in Adelaide, on a good helping wicket, Hazlewood & Starc dismissed the Indian openers by asking them to drive against wide of off deliveries. India were reeling at 19/2 & once again it was down to the Indian Skipper. Kohli, however didn’t seem to learn from the mode of the dismissals of openers. Spotted a ball that was there to be driven & couldn’t control his temptation thereby getting curtains to his innings by a stunner from Usman Khawaja. That was the second ball Kohli faced in Test Career off Cummins. Both being dismissals. And both shots offered were a COVER DRIVE.
5) PERTH 2018
Australia posted a huge 326 on the toughest deck of the series. India were down to 8/2 with another flop show from openers & then Kohli produced a flawless classic in Perth showing his teammates how to bat on the track against a world class line-up. India crossed 250 & were trailing by 75 runs. Kohli-Pant were the last recognized pair for India. Kohli who looked in total control throughout his knock nicked one to Handscomb in the slips. Although that was a controversial decision, it must be noticed that Kohli on 123 was once again caught cover driving outside off against a not so wide lined delivery.
6) WELLINGTON 2020
India were asked to bat first on a green track in Wellington 2020. Mayank was grinding out from one end. At 40/2, Team India wanted their most experienced batter to fire on a track that had more assistance to the pacers. Kohli however had other ideas. He once again nicked a harmless wide of off delivery to slips against the debutant Jamieson & left India in a spot of bother. India left reeling 40/3 with their 2 most experienced batters back in the hut.
7) ADELAIDE 2020
Adelaide 2020, A Test that no Indian fan wants to remember. Cummins scintillating spell from one end saw Indian batters form a queue to the pavilion without buying a run. Kohli in the first innings played a determined knock of 74 without playing any flashy drives early on. With India left in all sorts of trouble at 19/5, Kohli had no option but to try scoring some quick runs to release the pressure back on Australia. Kohli got a boundary to the third man region with a swift guide with his soft hands. In quest of another, against an even wider delivery, Kohli was caught at Gully off a stunner from Cameron Green. It was again the Cover Drive against a wide of off that brought curtains to his innings.
Another important thing to be noticed is that, each of Kohli dismissals that came while cover driving have been outside of India since 2018 where there is some movement on offer for the pace bowlers. In India, the number of dismissals stands at an absolute ZERO.
Unlike other batters, who score freely against wide of off deliveries, Kohli has been dismissed more often. For reference: Zero dismissals for Rohit Sharma against wide of off deliveries in Tests outside India since 2018. The picture given below dated 6 Aug 2019, shows how good Steve Smith treats when given width.
It is also important to note that it is not the balls in the channel that have been troubling Virat Kohli, but the ones dished wider to that line. Here are some more pictures that show Kohli hasn’t been in control while playing the Cover Drive but wasn’t dismissed off them.
Virat Kohli in South Africa 2018 Test Series:
Runs - 286
Dismissals % against Cover Drive* - 16.7 (Only 1 v Pace)
Virat Kohli in England 2018 Test Series:
Runs - 593
Dismissals % against Cover Drive* - 30 (1 v Spin, 2 v Pace)
Virat Kohli in Australia 2018 Test Series:
Runs - 282
Dismissals % against Cover Drive* - 28.57 (2 v Pace)
Virat Kohli in West Indies 2019 Test Series:
Runs - 136
Dismissals % against Cover Drive* - 0
Virat Kohli in New Zealand 2020 Test Series:
Runs - 38
Dismissals % against Cover Drive* - 25 (Only 1 v Pace)
Virat Kohli in Australia 2020 Test Series:
Runs - 78
Dismissals % against Cover Drive* - 50 (1 v Pace)
All the Cover Drive dismissals have been wide of off. A compulsive Cover Driver like Kohli should know it better when to play the drive & when not. In quest of one, he shouldn’t sell his team down the river. The alarming % of Kohli’s dismissals in Tests have been while cover driving wide deliveries outside off stump. So Kohli certainly isn’t the safest player of the Cover Drive with high % of dismissals. At this moment, we can only hope that he improves his shot selection against wide of off deliveries.