Virat Kohli‘s recent Test cricket performance has placed him on a list alongside bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Keshav Maharaj, and Shoaib Bashir, rather than fellow batters. This is due to his low first-innings average.
Kohli’s first-innings average is the third lowest since 2024, even lower than some tailenders, including Bumrah.
This unfortunate statistic emerged during the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney.
Kohli faced 69 deliveries, scoring only 17 runs without a boundary, before being dismissed by Scott Boland for the third time in the series. His struggles against deliveries outside the off stump continued.
Since the beginning of 2024, Kohli has played five first innings in Tests, accumulating a mere 35 runs at an average of 7.00. His highest score during this period is 17.
His first-innings scores are 17, 7, 5, 0, and 6.
Keshav Maharaj averages 5.4 with 27 runs across five innings and a high score of 24. English spinner Shoaib Bashir averaged 8.33 with 25 runs from seven innings and a top score of 11.
Even Bumrah’s first-innings batting average surpasses Kohli’s. Bumrah averages 10.00, having scored 70 runs in seven innings with a high score of 26 since 2024.
India chose to bat first in Sydney, but their top order struggled, including Kohli, who was dismissed for 17 runs.
Rishabh Pant (40), Ravindra Jadeja (26), and Jasprit Bumrah (22) provided some resistance, guiding India to a final total of 185 all out.
Scott Boland led the Australian bowling attack with figures of 4/31, proving to be a significant challenge for the Indian batsmen. Mitchell Starc contributed with 3/49, while Pat Cummins took 2/37.
