Monty Panesar’s Bold Take on Virat Kohli’s Test Retirement: Highlights Vulnerability, ‘Hasn’t Worked Out Solutions’

Monty Panesar’s Bold Take on Virat Kohli’s Test Retirement: Monty Panesar has clearly articulated a bold statement relating to Virat Kohli's Test retirement just before the big England Tour. Speaking about Kohli in a fresh interview, the ex-spinner noted Kohli's vulnerability with the ball outside the off-stump, which could certainly have been the pressure causing him to make such a big decision about not facing England when facing a low point in his Test career.

The Indian batting genius struggled to cope in the last Test series he played before retirement on Australian Tour, where Kohli scored a century in the first Test but then struggled to find a resolution to his repeated struggles against the ball outside the off-stump, and the Aussie pacers dominated.

Kohli's 2014 tour of England was also very disappointing, and on that occasion, his vulnerability outside the off-stump was exposed in front of the world for the first time, although it is also interesting to note he changed his stance and staged a remarkable turnaround on the 2018 tour to counter James Anderson and Co against.

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His struggles outside the off stump have returned in the last couple of years which has seen a dip in his form (his Test average dropping under 50).

According to Panesar, who played 50 Tests and was a member of the England side that achieved the rare feat of winning a Test series in India back in 2012, Kohli would have found it harder to cope with the moving ball just outside the off-stump than he had on his previous tours of England.

"With Kohli, what has happened is that against the ball outside the off stump, the fifth stump line, especially in Australia on fast bouncy pitches he was struggling," the left-arm spinner told PTI.

"So he probably thought maybe the fact that in England it is going to swing a lot more, he'll probably hasn't worked out solutions in that corridor of uncertainty.

"And I think that's probably been one of the reasons why he thought to retire and put all his energy with RCB and ODI cricket for India."

The former England spinner mentioned that Kohli was highly regarded for his successful Test career, and that his decision to walk away was likely to give chances to the next generation.

"I think he's done very well as a cricketer in all formats. He has been a brilliant ambassador for Test cricket. He probably feels that he's done his best, he's achieved everything and probably feels like it's time for the youngsters to step up," he added.

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‘Would be a lot tougher for Kohli to repeat same performances of 2018’

Panesar said Kohli managed to come back successfully in 2018, but trying to make a similar comeback at this stage of his career would be far more challenging.

"It would be a lot tougher for Kohli to repeat the same performances of2018. Just simple fact that he's been struggling over the last 12 to 18 months with that ball outside off stump. He hasn't got a solution for that, you know problem that he has on fourth and fifth stump.

"So he's thinking it's better for Indian cricket to give youngsters a go and hopefully find the next superstar," said Panesar, who is commentating on the Saurashtra Pro T20 League.

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