Dismissing Kohli may seam easy
AUSTRALIA’S plans to bring Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli undone have been bolstered by a data-filled breakdown which reveals seam, not swing, is the key.
The quest to get the red ball moving through the air only created trouble for the Aussies in South Africa this year and recent summers without a swinging Kookaburra have frustrated the home side’s quicks.
But the pace-filled Aussie attack can move the ball off the seam and an analysis of all-conquering Kohli’s dismissals, found by coach Justin Langer and given to his players, is cause for great hope.
Kohli has carved up attacks around the world in 2018 and the hunt for a way through his defences has taken up significant chunks of Langer’s time before tomorrow’s series opener at the Adelaide Oval.
In 10 Tests this year Kohli has racked up 1063 runs, at an average of just under 60, with four hundreds. Last time he was in Australia, in 2014-15, he piled on 692 runs, with four hundreds.
But in the search for help, Langer has found a statistical break- down that could provide the answers he needs.
A CricViz analysis of every ball Kohli has faced in his eight Tests away from India this year found that full-pitched seaming balls, not swinging ones, are where Kohli is most vulnerable to getting out.
The analysis also found the Australian pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are able to extract enough movement to poke at Kohli’s area of vulnerability.
There is a risk involved with such a plan, because Kohli scores at a rapid rate when full-pitched bowling is in play. But his dismissal rate to such bowling is so much higher than when balls are put on a good length, or bowled short, it is often worth a little pain to get the greatest gain.
“He’s one of those guys who can score pretty freely, a number of the guys can in this Indian side, but sometimes those risks bring the most rewards as well,” Hazlewood said on Monday when asked about Kohli. “Our bowling attack, we’re very confident. Based on last year, we had quite a good template there and it worked pretty well, so we’ll be looking to replicate that.”