Virat Kohli talks about Ravi Shastri's impact on his batting after England 2014 disaster

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has often talked about how the 2014 tour of England was his toughest in international cricket when asked about it in several interviews in the past. The batsman averaged a miserly 13.40 in 10 innings, with his highest-score being 39. The RCB captain’s weakness of playing deliveries just outside the off-stump was exposed, with Virat Kohli failing to get any sort of form going into the series. Six years after the debacle, Virat Kohli has now shared how Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri helped him overcome his weaknesses after the England tour.

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Virat Kohli opens up about England 2014 tour

Speaking about it on Mayank Agarwal’s show which has been uploaded by the BCCI online, Virat Kohli revealed the intricacies of the situation, while also shedding light on the role played by Ravi Shastri, Sachin Tendulkar and then coach Duncan Fletcher during that time. Virat Kohli explained that during the tour, it was his hip position that was proving to be problematic. He accepted that the problem in his batting technique arose from the fact that he was not adjusting to the conditions and was rigid about what he wanted to do.

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Elaborating more on the situation, Virat Kohli admitted that while the journey was long and painful, he quickly realised that his right hip was the issue. He further talked about how while batting, if the hip opens or closes too much, it can be troublesome for batsmen. Virat Kohli then went onto admit that keeping the hip position nice and side-on, while balancing it to ensure that a batsman can play through the off and on side with equal control is very important.

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Virat Kohli explains the role Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri played in helping him overcome his weaknesses

Virat Kohli then went onto reveal an interesting story of how Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri later helped him improve his batting technique after the 2014 England tour. He admitted that he was initially worried about the ball that would come in and that was why he was opening up the face of the bat too early. Virat Kohli also revealed that after reviewing the footage, he realised that he was just relying on his hands while batting.

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Explaining the importance of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli shared the story of how he came back to Mumbai and took part in a few sessions with the iconic cricketer. Virat Kohli said that he told Sachin Tendulkar that he is working on his hip position, who made him realise the importance of taking a big stride forward against the fast bowlers. Virat Kohli also talked about the role Ravi Shastri, who was then the team director had on his game. The RCB captain disclosed how Ravi Shastri taught him the importance of standing outside the crease, which helped him gain control over the place he played in and not give the bowlers opportunities to get him out. He concluded that Ravi Shastri advised him to stand outside the crease as it would rule out the chance of many dismissals.

Virat Kohli later went onto to discuss the impact Sachin Tendulkar’s and Ravi Shastri’s advice had on him. Kohli revealed that after incorporating their suggestions, the results were incredible. He also shared how their advice helped him perform well in the 2018 tour of England.

In previous interviews as well, Kohli has credited the current head coach Ravi Shastri for revitalising him as a batsman and also being the 'man-manager' that he and the Indian team needs whenever he is asked for his opinion or advice. Shastri has also clalimed previously that he was responsible in making Kohli work on his mental strength post the 2014 England tour and a few months later in Australia, Kohli hit four hundreds in four Tests against the hosts, becoming the first-ever Indian batsman to achieve the feat.

Image Courtesy: PTI