In the first Test match against Bangladesh, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill showcased their batting prowess with impressive centuries, helping India set a challenging target of 515 runs. Meanwhile, former India captain Virat Kohli was seen at the practice nets in Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium, diligently addressing his batting shortcomings following a disappointing performance in the match.
This Test match marked Kohli's second appearance in the format this year, with his last game being during the South Africa tour in January. It was also his first Test match at home since the Border-Gavaskar series in March 2023, as he had missed the England series earlier this year due to the birth of his second child.
Despite high expectations for Kohli's return to Test cricket, the 35-year-old faced early dismissals in both innings of the match. His lackluster performance included a dismissal for just six runs in the first innings and a lbw decision for 17 runs in the second innings, where replays suggested an outside edge before the ball struck the pad.
Despite the setbacks, Kohli chose to forgo rest and instead focused on improving his technique against pace deliveries in the nets.
He was accompanied by specialist throwdown experts and fellow Indian batter Yashasvi Jaiswal. Kohli is expected to make a strong comeback in the second Test against Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on September 27 at Kanpur's Green Park Stadium.
As India's No. 4, Kohli will be determined to improve his performance, particularly in home conditions. In Asian matches, he has only scored 654 runs in 23 innings since 2021, with just one century and two half-centuries, averaging 29.72. Overall, he has accumulated 1669 runs in the format during this period, with an average of 32.72 and 10 fifty-plus scores.
Also read| IND vs BAN, 1st Test: Bad light forces early stumps on Day 3; Bangladesh need 357 more runs to win
