How Virat Kohli responded to frank feedback on his batting in final Test series

Former India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate reveals how Virat Kohli responded when his cover-drive struggles were brought up during the 2024-25 Australia Test series, and why he had to muster the courage to speak to the star batter.Virat Kohli managed just 190 runs across 5 Tests in his final series (PTI Photo)New Delhi,Nov 9, 2026 14:30 ISTFormer India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has revealed how he mustered the courage to speak to Virat Kohli about his issues with the cover drive during the latter's final Test series in Australia. The former Netherlands batter said he had learnt from some of the best coaches the importance of initiating conversations with players, without being afraid to do so, even when dealing with established stars.Kohli's struggles against deliveries in the corridor of uncertainty outside the off-stump came under the spotlight during India's five-Test series in Australia in 2024-25. The former captain began the tour with a magnificent unbeaten hundred in Perth, but things went downhill thereafter. He was dismissed eight times in similar fashion, caught behind or in the slips, often after attempting expansive drives outside off-stump.Kohli finished the series with 190 runs at an average of 23.75. His final Test innings came in Sydney, where he managed just six runs before Scott Boland dismissed him, caught at slip. He announced his retirement from Test cricket a few months later.Speaking to talkSPORT, ten Doeschate revealed that he eventually approached Kohli during the fourth Test, after noticing how repeatedly he was getting out. "I never want to be a coach who is scared of someone else's opinion or of stepping in and saying the right thing. I was telling Cam about Virat and the troubles he was having in Australia, driving the ball and getting caught behind. Eventually, during the fourth Test, I went up to him to intervene and have a chat. He was brilliant about it. He actually wanted someone to speak to him," ten Doeschate said.The former India assistant coach admitted that approaching a player of Kohli's stature could be a difficult proposition for any coach. He said he had spent considerable time thinking about how to deliver the message without making it sound like criticism. "I was lucky enough to have a decent relationship with Virat. He's obviously not someone who needs a lot of coaching. One thing that really stood out to me was how similar the manner of his dismissals was becoming."I eventually found the right moment during a rain break, when I could deliver it in quite a non-confrontational way. Credit to him, the way he took it on turned it into a really good discussion."Ten Doeschate said the conversation did not result in the turnaround India had hoped for towards the end of the series. However, he believes coaches should not shy away from difficult conversations because of the growing influence of players in modern cricket. VIRAT KOHLI'S REACTIONCiting former South Africa coach Gary Kirsten as an example, he said some of the best coaches were those who knew how to initiate conversations rather than impose their opinions."You don't have to agree. Virat explained why he wanted to play the way he did, and we didn't even tweak anything around that," he said.Ten Doeschate added that knowing when to offer technical advice was just as important as knowing what to say.Virat Kohli returned to domestic cricket to turn out for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy earlier in 2025, signalling his intent to continue playing Test cricket and be part of India's tour of England. However, midway through the IPL season, he announced his retirement from the longest format.Kohli has continued to feature in ODIs, and his consistency in the format has only improved since his Test retirement. He has scored 1,284 runs in 24 matches at an average of over 60, including five centuries.Former India head coach Ravi Shastri recently backed Kohli to continue playing Test cricket, pointing to his fitness and willingness to put in the hard yards. Kohli, meanwhile, has shown little sign of slowing down in the 50-over format. He began India's tour of New Zealand with a fluent 74 in a tricky chase in Auckland, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most runs in successful ODI chases.- Ends