India vs Australia: Virat Kohli's Joint Second-Longest Stretch Without an ODI Ton Adds to India's Woes

Virat Kohli is one of the best ODI batsman of all-time - up there with the likes of the great Sir Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar and AB de Villiers who would follow in any comprehensive analysis of the top batsmen in the format. It is natural that for a batsman who has set such high standards, broken so many records and set some impossible to reach milestones, any deviation from that level will lead to scrutiny and analysis. Kohli scored 89 off 87 deliveries against Australia, top-scoring for India in the second ODI at the SCG. But for someone, who is arguably the greatest chaser in ODI history, he would be disappointed at the manner and the timing of his wicket.

India had an outside chance for a record-breaking chase as long as he was there at the crease. He needed to get one of his big hundreds today, as he has in the past, on several occasions, but it was not to be.

Subsequently, India lost their 5th consecutive ODI and more significantly the second bilateral series in a row for the first time since October 2015 (South Africa) - January 2016 (Australia).

Also Read: Steve Smith Stars Again as Australia Clinch ODI Series against India

Kohli has now NOT registered an international hundred in his last 24 innings. He has aggregated 839 runs at an average of 39.95 in these matches. These include 7 fifties but not even a single three-digit score. For a batsman who has recorded 70 hundreds in 462 international matches, ie a hundred every 6.6 innings, these numbers are a big aberration.

Including the ongoing ODI series in Australia, Kohli has not recorded a century in his last 4 series (in New Zealand, at home against Australia and West Indies).

This is a rare phenomenon – Kohli has failed to score a hundred in three (or more) consecutive series/tournaments only on three occasions before in his ODI career – this shows his remarkable consistency in the format but also showcases the current dip in his form.

The Indian skipper had a batting average of less than 30 in two of the last three ODI series he played – against West Indies at home and against New Zealand away.

Also Read: Lack of Wickets in Powerplay Affecting Team India Adversely

Kohli has not been in great form in other formats too. He has failed to register a fifty in 6 T20I matches in 2020 - a format where his record, like in ODI cricket, places him amongst the very best in history. Kohli could just muster 38 runs in 4 innings in the Test series in New Zealand.

Comparing Kohli's current stretch to his previous stretch of a similar number of 24 international matches there is a significant difference! He had aggregated 1353 runs at an average of 71.21 including 4 hundreds and 8 fifties.

The thing with Kohli is that, like today against Australia at the SCG, he does not look he is not at his best. Such is his greatness that even when not at his peak, he still has the capability to win matches for India. But numbers don't lie and in Kohli's case they do reveal a story.

Kohli's average places him at number 23 amongst the 37 batsmen who have scored a minimum of 400 international runs since the 6th of December, 2020 (from when Kohli's bad patch started).

These patches of 'indifferent form' have been very rare in what has been a glorious career for Kohli. In fact, he has had only two bad patches in a little over 12 years of international cricket and 462 innings.

Also Read: Pleased to Wrap Up the Series in Two Games - Aaron Finch

Kohli has gone through a period of 20 or more innings without scoring an international hundred just twice before in his career - he went hundred-less in 24 innings from the 27th of February, 2011 to the 11th of September, 2011 before registering a ton against England in an ODI in Cardiff on the 16th of September.

The second such phase - and the longest one in Kohli's career - lasted for 25 innings between the Asia Cup in Bangladesh (28th February, 2014) to the ODI home series against the West Indies (11th October, 2014).

Kohli bounced back in fine style after each of his previous two bad phases in international cricket. Indian cricket fans will be hoping their captain will be third time lucky too!

• Australian cricket team
• cricket
• cricket news
• India vs Australia
• India vs Australia 2020
• Indian cricket team
• virat kohli