Abhishek Nayar talks about the struggling Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

India National Cricket Team Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar spoke about the poor form of batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma returning to form in Test cricket is just a matter of 25-30 deliveries, Abhishek Nayar said.

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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggled in BGT 2024-25

Former India captain Kohli was dismissed for 5 runs in his first innings of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth. However, in the second innings, he smashed a stunning century.

Thereafter, he struggled to get going and was dismissed while chasing deliveries outside the stump. In the Adelaide Test, he returned with scores of 7 and 11, and in the Brisbane Test, he scored 3 runs.

Meanwhile, current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma missed the Perth Test and then struggled to bat well in the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests where he recorded scores of 3, 6 and 10. Overall, Rohit has had just one score of fifty-plus runs in his last 13 matches. innings while Kohli had only two in his previous 15 innings.

The idea behind it is to make sure what kind of area they need to do these runs in – Abhishek Nayar

Speaking after the end of play on the first day, India coach Abhishek Nayar said that both Rohit and Kohli need to start well and spend some time in the middle to get back to their form.

“I always think it’s about getting that confidence and getting off to a good start. If they get that, their game will look different. I think Rohit and Virat are the type of players that if they face 25-30 deliveries, you will see them get back to their usual level.”

While supporting Rohit Sharma’s statement that ‘modern greats will determine their path’ for Kohli, Abhishek Nayar said:

“As Rohit said, generally when you have a discussion with an experienced player, it’s about his focus and his game plan. Every player has their weak point. They will get dismissed one way or the other. The idea behind it is to make sure what kind of area they need to make those runs.”

A lot of credit goes to the way Sam played – Abhishek Nayyar

Abhishek Nayar also lavished praise on teenage batting sensation Sam Konstas for his stunning 65-ball 60 on his Test innings debut against India. He said:

“A lot of credit goes to the way Sam played. The intent he showed in the first few minutes put us in an awkward position. But I felt it took a lot of character from the bowlers to stay there.”

However, Nayar was satisfied with the way the Indian bowlers came back after being blown away by the youngster’s exceptional batting in Melbourne. He explained:

“It wasn’t the easiest conditions for runs, we felt. They were good at batting. At times like that, it’s important to stick to your guns. I felt we came back strong after lunch. Bowling those maidens, the pressure.”

“At times like this, you’re surprised when someone makes a hit like that. But I felt like we responded really well and maintained that all day, and we reaped the rewards in the end. Overall, when you look at the day, we were happy with where we finished.”