Kohli’s 50-plus test average is in jeopardy for the first time in 49 tests.
Virat Kohli’s average first reached the lofty 50s in his 52nd Test match. It has never fallen below the gold standard of elite Test-match batsman ship since then. However, if he is dismissed for less than 43 runs in the following innings in Bangalore, his average will go below 50 for the first time in 49 Tests.
He reached 55.1 at his peak and appeared to be on the verge of an upward curve before collapsing. He has averaged only a fraction above 30 since reaching the pinnacle, which he reached after piling up his greatest Test score of 254 not out against South Africa. Naturally, his average has suffered as a result of the drop.
Kohli’s 50-plus test average is in jeopardy for the first time in 49 tests.
Though Kohli has downplayed the importance of numbers in favor of the impact of his knocks, a sub-50 average would cast doubt on his status as one of the greatest batters of all time. Despite their occasional slumps, the greats have always maintained a career average of 50 points. Since his Test debut, Sunil Gavaskar has never been out of the 50s. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid never let their average go below 50 after crossing that threshold (despite a dreadful final period).
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Kohli isn’t concerned with statistics or his place among India’s all-time best batsmen. He is already a legend, having won more matches than most and leading India to a record number of victories, but whether he is one of the all-time greats or one of the greats of his generation will be determined by that average. Kohli’s 50-plus test average is in jeopardy for the first time in 49 tests.
It may mean the difference between his joining the ranks of Alastair Cook and David Warner (both excellent batters but not on the G.O.A.T list) or Dravid and Tendulkar. In terms of quality and command of conditions, he belongs in the latter group, although a sub-50 average would mar his image.