India’s carrom-baller, spin wizard Ashwin bids adieu to international cricket
India's decorated off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his decision to retire from international cricket moments after the Brisbane Test ended in a draw.
Backing India skipper Virat Kohli’s lean patch with the bat, legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev said that the 31-year-old is ageing and hence his eyes and reflexes are slowing down a bit, making batting tougher for him. However, Dev feels practising more would help Kohli regain his vintage touch.
“When you reach a certain age, when you cross 30 then it affects your eyesight. In swings, which used to be his strength, he (Kohli) used to flick them four but now he has been dismissed twice. So I think he needs to adjust his eyesight a bit,” Dev said as quoted by IANS via ABP news.
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“When big players start getting bowled or LBW to incoming deliveries then you have to tell them to practise more. It shows that your eyes and your reflexes have slowed down a bit and in no time your strengths turn into your weakness.
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“From 18-24, your eyesight is at the optimum level but after that, it depends on how you work on it.
“So Kohli needs to practise more. When your eyesight weakens then you have to tighten up your technique more. The same ball which he used pounce on so quickly, he’s getting late on it now,” Dev said.
In the just-concluded two-match Test series against New Zealand, Kohli managed just 38 runs at an average of 9.50 — his worst in recent times. He amassed a total of 218 runs in the 11 innings (four T20Is, three ODIs and four Tests) that he played against the Black Caps and ended a pathetic tour with just 14 in his last innings.
The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper believes that Kohli would soon be back on track and the upcoming edition of IPL would help him do so.
“I think IPL will help him. He will start getting the hang of it. He’s a great cricketer, he will definitely realize it himself and make adjustments,” the 61-year-old former all-rounder said.
India will now take on South Africa in the three-match ODI series beginning March 12 in Dharamsala.
(With stats and inputs from IANS)
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