Virat Kohli suffers 11-match dry run for the second time in 20 months; Statistical survey

Bengaluru, November 30: Virat Kohli was dismissed for 89 in the second ODI against Australia at Sydney on Sunday (November 29) and now the Indian skipper has gone 11 innings in one-dayers without a hundred, the second time in the last 20 months.

From a team's perspective, India lost the second ODI by 51 runs, their fifth consecutive defeat in the 50-over format and men in blue also lost the series 0-2. It was their second ODI series defeat in a row after losing to New Zealand earlier this year.

There is no denying the fact that Kohli is one of the best ODI batsmen ever to have played, and arguably the finest chaser. But the lack of big runs from the skipper is impeding the progress of the team a big way in ODI cricket and make it worse India have lost the services of players like Rohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

A statistical look at Kohli's recent ODI outings in 2019 and 2020.

1. When was Kohli's last ODI hundred

Kohli made an 87-ball 89 against Australia at SCG and it seemed that the Indian skipper found a way to cross the three-digit mark after 11 innings without it. The last time Kohli made a hundred (114) was against West Indies at Port of Spain on August 14, 2019 and it was his 43rd hundred in ODIs. It was his second century in as many matches as Kohli had made 120 (42nd ODI hundred) at the same venue against the West Indies.

2. Overview of Kohli's last 11 ODI innings

After the away series against West Indies, India played at home against the West Indies and Australia and away against New Zealand before the series against South Africa at home was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The away ODI series against Australia was Kohli's and India's first international assignment in about 8 months. Since that Port of Spain hundred to 89 at Sydney on Sunday (November 29), Kohli has played 11 innings and his scores are: 4, 0, 85, 16, 78, 89, 51, 15, 9, 21, 89.

3. Kohli's lean patch in 2019

Kohli had endured a similar 11-match lean run in 2019 too. After scoring twin hundred against Australia at Nagpur and Ranchi (116, 123), his 40th and 41st hundreds respectively, Kohli played 11 innings - two against Australia at home and 9 in the ICC World Cup 2019. He made five fifties in those innings without managing a hundred, till he broke the chain against Windies at Port of Spain.

4. Overview of Kohli's 2019 dry run

Kohli made 7 and 20 against Australia at home before going to England for the World Cup. In the showpiece event he made 18, 82, 77, 67, 72, 66, 26, 34 and 1. He became the first batsman to score five hundreds in a row in the World Cup but a hundred eluded him. So, will we see a revival now?