It looked like the demons of the BGT were back for Virat Kohli: Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has stated that a lack of game time and insufficient preparation have resulted in India’s top-order failure in the first ODI against Australia in Perth on Sunday, October 19.

For the unversed, Rohit got out off Josh Hazlewood due to extra bounce for eight runs, while Kohli lost his wicket for a duck after nicking a delivery moving away from him against Mitchell Starc. 

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan asserted that it looked like the demons of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy were haunting Virat Kohli. However, he backed the Indian talismanic batter to come out well at his most successful overseas venue, Adelaide Oval.

"Fitness is one thing, and game time is another. That is why Rohit looked a bit troubled. It looked like the demons of the BGT were back for Virat. I hope this is not the case in Adelaide and Sydney. KL Rahul batted well today. Shreyas Iyer got into an awkward position. Maybe he can work a bit more on his technique. Axar does well whenever he gets an opportunity to bat ahead," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

"Whenever you tour such countries, it is always better to go early and play some games. It was going to be difficult for India. It was going to be a challenge as the conditions would not be easy. Our bowlers could not get the right lengths. The batters also had trouble with the bounce. If you had played a game or two, these mistakes would not have happened. It is important to think about these things going forward," he added.

For the unversed, Kohli and Rohit had a poor Australian tour in 2024-25 as India lost the five-match Test series 1-3. A few months after the conclusion of the tour, Kohli and Rohit bid adieu to the longest format of the game.

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