Allan Border: Australia does not want Virat Kohli full of confidence for the rest of the series

Former Aussie captain Allan Border has questioned skipper Pat Cummins’ tactics, suggesting he allowed Virat Kohli to regain his rhythm.

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten hundred in the Perth Test. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Former Australia captain Allan Border has expressed disappointment over the team’s failure to contain Virat Kohli during the first Test in Perth, which saw India secure a dominant 295-run victory.

“I was really disappointed in the way we let Kohli roll on to a hundred without much resistance,” Border told SEN radio. “We don’t want this guy full of confidence for the rest of the series.”

Border also questioned skipper Pat Cummins’ tactics, suggesting he allowed Kohli, who scored an unbeaten century, to regain his rhythm after recent struggles.

Bowl short to Jaiswal

Former opener Matthew Hayden echoed these sentiments, criticising field placements and strategic choices. “They missed a few tricks with Virat Kohli in the early part of his innings,” Hayden told Channel 7. “You can’t cut a sucker an even break when a bloke is under pressure as he was. The field placements made it too easy for him to get off strike early.”

Hayden also highlighted a delayed use of short-ball strategies against Jaiswal. “Jaiswal looked vulnerable against it. Maybe tiny things with Pat Cummins — the ability to think through these decisions — they were shell-shocked from the average batting performance in the first innings,” he added.