Former Australian pacer Brett Lee has offered crucial advice to Indian cricket stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as they prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, set to begin on November 22 in Perth. Lee, reflecting on the duo's recent struggles, emphasized the importance of taking a mental and technical reset to regain form ahead of the high-stakes series.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Lee pointed out that Kohli and Rohit, both of whom faced difficulties during India’s shocking 0-3 Test series loss to New Zealand, need to briefly step away from the game to recalibrate. During that series, both players struggled against the spin bowlers of New Zealand, with Kohli scoring just 93 runs and Rohit 91 runs across three matches. These performances were far below their usual standards, leading to increased scrutiny and criticism from fans and pundits alike.
Lee reflected on the surprising nature of India's loss, especially given that the general expectation was for India to win 3-0 at home. “The word on the streets was India 3-0, but while I predicted 3-0, it was not the other way,” Lee said, emphasizing the unexpected whitewash. “If you look at Rohit [Sharma] and Kohli, they both got 90 runs each in the series. It's so unlike them. They are way better players than that,” Lee added, noting that their underperformance was a significant factor in India’s defeat.
Both Kohli and Rohit came under heavy criticism following the series, particularly after India lost 37 wickets to New Zealand’s spinners, including Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, and Glenn Phillips. Lee speculated that the Indian batters may have adopted an overly aggressive approach, which ultimately led to their downfall. He pointed out that Rohit, in particular, was dismissed early by pace bowlers on several occasions, highlighting that his usual fluency against the new ball was missing.
Lee’s advice to the two players is clear: they need to mentally reset before the crucial Border-Gavaskar series against Australia. “When you have a couple of bad runs back-to-back, that’s when the pressure could set in,” Lee explained. He stressed that it is essential for both Kohli and Rohit to detach from the failures of the New Zealand series and approach the upcoming challenge with a fresh mindset. According to Lee, the key to bouncing back lies in shedding the mental baggage from previous losses and stepping into the next series with renewed determination and focus.
With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy just around the corner, Lee's advice serves as a timely reminder for both Kohli and Rohit to put aside recent setbacks and channel their energy into preparing for the highly anticipated battle against Australia. If they can reset their mental approach, there is little doubt they will be able to return to the form that has made them two of the best batters in world cricket.
