Former India opener Aakash Chopra feels that it’s not easy to predict whether Virat Kohli will manage to score a century in the second Test against Australia as it will depend on how the pitch reacts. The former India captain failed to score big in the series opener at Nagpur as he was dismissed for 12, it was debutant Todd Murphy who get the better of him.
The batting maestro has not been at his best in red-ball cricket in recent times as he last scored a Test century way back in 2019 in the pink-ball Test against Bangladesh.
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Chopra, who is very vocal about his opinions, said that the pitch will only decide how Kohli will perform in the 2nd Test as he practised sweep shots ahead of the Nagpur clash but was dismissed early in the innings.
“Kohli had practiced a lot of sweeps before the first Test but could only get one innings. In Delhi, it is hard to say how Kohli will perform, because we do not know how the pitch will be like. If India bat first, then the chances are bright, because at least they might bat twice. The pitch might also be better to bat on day one when compared to the other days. So, let us wait and see, I am not saying that Kohli will walk out and score a hundred in Delhi with ease, I am just holding onto the horses,” Chopra told ESPNCricinfo.
Since 2020, Kohli has scored 929 runs in 21 Test matches at an average of 25.80 without any century.
The former opener further suggested that India should play four spinners as he suggested that there is not much on offer for pace bowlers on Delhi’s surface.
“If you want to intimidate the Australians, then play four spinners. Four spinners and once seamer, because the seamer hardly gets like 15 overs in a day over here. That particular thought can be entertained. If the pitch gets slower and slower, then you need to beat the batters in the air, and I think Kuldeep can do that better than Axar.”
“The way with which Axar is playing, he cannot be dropped. I think the team will discuss the prospect of playing four spinners, but will ultimately go with three spinners and two seamers,” he added.
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