Delhi: Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has advised Indian cricketer Virat Kohli to take some time away from the game so that he can regain his old energy and passion. In the five-Test series of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli scored only 190 runs, his average was 23.75. His struggle on balls outside the off-stump increased a lot, where he was caught out in the same manner eight times out of nine innings.
‘Working harder causes less success’
Ponting said, “The problem with Virat is that you can see how much he wants. He is working so hard that it is making batting difficult for him. “Sometimes working harder in batting leads to less success.”
Example of your situation
Giving the example of his own situation, the Australian legend advised Kohli to take some relief, “At one point I started thinking more about not getting out, rather than thinking about scoring runs. It may sound strange, but that’s how it was. I was trying to be so perfect that I could set a good example for the team. But, when I was playing my best, I didn’t think about these things. I am seeing the same with Virat also. It is clear from the way he got out that he does not want to play on those balls, but mentally he is being forced to do so.
‘A break may help’
The former Australian captain believes that just as Kohli took a break of 42 days after the England tour in 2022 and during this time he did not touch the bat for 30 days, similarly another break can be helpful for him. “The break can be helpful for Virat. First he took a mental break and then rediscovered his love for the game. Right now it seems that he doesn’t have the same passion for the game because he is making it too difficult for himself. If he wants to continue Test cricket, he should take some rest and rediscover his love for the game.”
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