Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

BGT 2024/25: The Uncharted Gabba – Another Hurdle for This Indian Legend?

Having played only one game at the Gabba, things could get uglier for this batsman

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024 is proving to be an evenly matched affair as both India and Australia have levelled the series by winning one game each while three games remain to be played. The series started off with a bang, including big performances, especially by bowlers and two centuries by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli. However, for India and Virat Kohli, the second game was an embarrassing loss as Australia won by 10 wickets, where Kohli managed seven and 11 runs in two innings.

Next up, India is set to go up against Australia at the famous Gabba in Brisbane. Unfortunately, we believe the stadium could pose more trouble for India’s star man Virat Kohli because the Gabba is sort of uncharted territory for the Indian veteran Test player.

The one-game man

Virat Kohli’s appearance at the Gabba has been extremely limited. Despite playing so many BGT games, Kohli has played only one game at the Gabba. Not entirely his fault, though, given the Gabba has not been a regular in recent years. On the other hand, Kohli could’ve played at the Gabba in the 2020/2021 Test but chose not to as he left the tour after the first game to be with Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child.

His only Test appearance in Brisbane was a game in 2014, but it was a poor outing. In two innings, Kohli scored only 20 runs—19 in the first innings and one run in the second innings—after facing a total of 38 balls. 63.2 per cent of the balls were dot balls, whereas the average and strike rate in that game were 10.0 and 52.5, respectively.

Not a memorable ODI stint

Kohli’s statistics, even in the One-Day format at the Gabba, are not worth recalling. In four innings, the veteran Indian batter scored 141 runs in 183 games at an average of 35.2 and a strike rate of 77. He scored two fifties, including a high score of 66 in one of the innings.

When it comes to T20I, he played only one at the Brisbane till date, having scored only four runs.

Kohli’s last dismissal and his dip since 2020

Kohli’s last dismissal at the hands of Mitchell Starc once again highlighted his weakness of handling balls coming out the offside edge, a type of delivery that has often sent Kohli back in the dugout. It is true that Kohli often works on his weaknesses, admits his mistakes, and tries to come back stronger.

However, his dip since 2020 in Tests is evident given his average that once stood at 50 has now fallen to 48. Even his present form remains unconvincing despite his century in Perth, given he went back quickly in three other innings without much contribution.

At the end of the day, it is about consistency, and it will be interesting to see if he can adapt to the Gabba Test, where his exposure has been highly limited.