“Confident He Will Come Back With Better Plans”: Abhishek Nayar on Virat Kohli’s Perth Failure

Perth: Virat Kohli’s return to international cricket after seven months wasn’t the fairytale fans were hoping for. Playing his first ODI since India’s Champions Trophy triumph in March, the 36-year-old superstar was dismissed for an eight-ball duck in the opening match against Australia at the Optus Stadium. While the result disappointed both fans and pundits, former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar is confident that Kohli will respond in the only way he knows – by learning from his mistakes and returning stronger in Adelaide.

A Set-Up and a Trap

Kohli’s dismissal came at a time when India desperately needed stability after the early loss of skipper Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma. Walking in amid massive cheers from Indian supporters, Kohli looked poised to anchor the innings. However, he failed to take advantage of the few scoring opportunities offered. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc bowled with guile, mixing angles and speed, and deprived Kohli of easy singles by setting tight fields. Attempting an ambitious cover drive off an outside off-stump ball, Kohli edged the delivery straight to Cooper Connolly at backward point.

This marked Kohli’s first-ever ODI duck in Australia – a shocking statistic considering his usually impeccable record Down Under.

Nayar’s Tactical Breakdown

Analyzing Kohli’s dismissal on Cricket Live for JioStar, Abhishek Nayar explained how Kohli might have played differently under such conditions.

“The discussion will always be around playing square of the wicket in Australia,” Nayar said. “With the extra pace, bounce, and lateral movement, you want to let the ball come to you, play late and behind the body. That is slightly different from what Virat has done traditionally here.”

He added that Kohli usually prefers playing in straighter areas and walking towards bowlers to dominate the attack, but the conditions in Perth required a more defensive, timing-based approach. “Mitchell Starc seemed one step ahead. He didn’t go for the full, fast deliveries we are used to seeing but instead hit the pitch hard and went across the batter. Yes, there were definite plans against Virat.”

Learning Through Adaptation

Nayar expressed optimism that Kohli will analyze what went wrong and adjust his game plan ahead of the second ODI in Adelaide on Thursday. “Kohli is one of the most analytical cricketers in the world. He will go back, study his videos, and look at adjustments – maybe play deeper in the crease or later towards third man. We saw him do this during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and I’m sure he’ll reflect and come back with better plans.”

The loss in Perth also mirrored the struggles Kohli faced during his final Test tour to Australia earlier this year when Scott Boland consistently targeted his outside-off edge—a pattern that seems to have re-emerged.

Kohli’s “Happy Hunting Ground”

Adelaide Oval has always been a special venue for Virat Kohli. He has scored 244 runs in four ODIs there, averaging 61, with two centuries. Across formats, Kohli’s numbers at Adelaide are staggering—527 runs in five Tests (average 52.70) and 204 runs in three T20Is (average 204.00), including a career-best 90*. He also needs just 25 more runs to complete 1,000 runs at Adelaide, which would make him the first visiting player ever to achieve the milestone.

What Lies Ahead

India’s batting collapse in Perth wasn’t entirely Kohli’s fault. The entire top-order struggled—Rohit Sharma (8), Shubman Gill (10), and Shreyas Iyer (11) fell cheaply to Starc and Hazlewood before rain interruptions disrupted the rhythm. The game was reduced to 26 overs per side, and India posted only 136/9. Despite a resilient 39-run partnership between KL Rahul and Axar Patel, the total proved too low as Australia cruised to a seven-wicket win via the DLS method.

With Adelaide’s relatively flatter surface and shorter boundaries, Kohli will be looking to make amends and silence critics with the kind of innings that have defined his career.

Experts Believe the Comeback is Inevitable

Echoing Nayar’s confidence, former Australian captain Michael Clarke commented that Kohli simply lacked match rhythm after his long layoff. “Playing games is just different. Kohli might look fit and confident in the nets, but game intensity is unique. He just needs one innings to get going,” Clarke said.

Fans will now eagerly await Adelaide, hoping that Kohli’s return to his happy place brings redemption for both him and Team India.