Kohli: Virat's massive slump in Tests in 9 charts

When Rohit Sharma was asked about his predecessor Virat Kohli’s batting form, his response was that the batsman was in a “great mental space” and knew how to handle the pressure. “If you guys (media) can keep quiet for a while, everything will fall in place,” he said. But there’s little doubt that there’s a visible slump in the batting numbers for one of India’s all-time greats. Especially in Test cricket, his favourite format and most successful as captain, Kohli’s numbers over the past two years are far worse than we’ve seen before.In Tests, the big innings missing and new vulnerabilitiesDespite playing 25 innings in 2021, Kohli scored less runs in a calendar year than he did in 2019, a year in which he batted for fewer innings. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Kohli’s average was at 28.21 runs for the 2021 calendar year which is the lowest it’s been since he Test debut in 2011. That’s excluding the year 2020 since it was the lowest number of Tests he’s played since his debut year. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r In 2019, Kohli smashed a career high of 254 not out against South Africa and his last century for the next two years. The only year prior to 2021 when Kohli has gone an entire calendar year without a single Test century was his debut year in which he had just five innings.The past calendar year was the worst on record for an amazingly consistent batsman. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r The lack in form has meant the former India captain hasn’t been able to get into the 90s or the big scores, unlike the previous two years. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r The centuries matter because 20 of the 27 scored have come in matches that India has either won or drawn. As the career numbers show, Kohli often gives India a strong start in a Test series which never hurts its chances of winning a series. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Over the past two years, the manner in which Kohli has been dismissed has changed. There’s a marked rise in the percentage of times the star batsman has been getting caught behind and bowled. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r And as he’s struggled for the big scores, Kohli’s been dismissed by left-arm bowlers more in the past two years than in the previous two years. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Kohli will play his first Test since relinquishing captaincy in Sri Lanka, which will also be his 100th match in this format. Given he’s scored five centuries and averages a whopping 77.23 against the island nation, there might be no better place for him to find elusive form. Fewer ODIs, consistent in T20sOver the past two years, Kohli has played just 12 ODI innings which affects the comparison with the same period given he played 40 innings in 2018 and 2019. And the form in 2018-19 period is incomparable with the next two years given they include two imperious unbeaten 150+ scores (160 vs South Africa at Cape Town and 157 vs West Indies at Vishakapatnam) !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r The year 2022 hasn’t started well for the former Indian captain with an average that’s currently at 23.66 runs. However, he’s also got two half centuries in the six innings. But given the next ODIs for team India are likely only to be played in July in England it will be a long wait to see Kohli play in the format he’s excelled in. And while T20Is may not be his most favoured, Kohli has had the most success in this format with an average that nearly matches his performance in 2019. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Untitled Carousel 89245737 Photos: Getty Images, agencies