Can ODI return be perfect antidote for Kohli's slump?

Kohli has had a poor run in Test cricket in four of the last five years, but his ODI numbers have remained unaffected

- Rasesh Mandani

Virat Kohli still walks to the crease with a swagger. But his records no longer have a halo around them. Four ordinary years out of the past five in Test cricket have taken a toll. Amid this mediocrity in whites (avg 30.72 in 39 Tests), Kohli has held on to his stardom.

Having touched the peak of batting greatness in Tests before the dip, Kohli's continued allure is also a result of his consistency in limited overs cricket.

In T20Is, he would successfully summon his big match temperament - take the 82* at MCG versus Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup or 76 at Barbados against South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. However, if there is one out of the three main formats where Kohli still feels at home, it's good old ODI cricket.

On Tuesday, Kohli was the first to hit the nets in Nagpur before the England ODI series, batting in pairs with skipper Rohit Sharma, first facing pace, then spin.

His demeanour during training, joking with the younger lot, wouldn't tell you but even his net sessions aren't as rhythmic as before. When Harshit Rana beat his outside edge, he would gesture to himself how the bounce was steeper than he anticipated.