This is where Virat Kohli will need his fans - to help him believe he belongs

Virat Kohli has registered back to back ducks in his much-anticipated India return (AP Photo)

Back to back ducks for Virat Kohli is a rarity. In all his previous 29 ODI innings in Australia, Virat had never scored a duck. And now in Perth and Adelaide he was unable to get off the mark. Let’s first analyse the way he got out. Credit to Xavier Bartlett he set Virat up beautifully. The first two balls were wide outside the off-stump on sixth stump line and Virat let them both go. The third ball was full and close to the stumps and Virat defended with confidence. The fourth and final ball came in sharply and Virat had pressed too far forward and had literally fallen over. The deviation meant he did not have a chance. In sum, it was a very good ball to get him out.

With back to back ducks and with Rohit Sharma scoring some runs, the pressure on Virat will mount. He has fuelled speculation by raising his hand when walking out. Will he not want to continue is what is trending on social media. Let’s be clear. Virat does need game time. He should have played the India A games against Australia in Kanpur. But to say on the basis of 12 balls that his time is up and he needs to give up just doesn’t work. I am sure the selectors will want to give him nine games at least till the New Zealand series before they make any assessment. And he too will need to self assess what he has left and decide on playing domestic cricket to keep himself in game shape.

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While a lot will indeed be said, I still think much shouldn’t be read into these two failures. Yes they couldn’t have come at a worse time and it doesn’t help India one bit. But then that’s where we need to stay patient. Allow him the time to get in and then see what he can produce. Much like Rohit who was all at sea in the first 40 balls of his innings, Virat needs some luck to get in. Only than can we judge where he stands with his game.

Coming to the wave to the Adelaide crowd, I don’t read much into it. This is a stadium that has given him a lot. He started out as India’s red-ball captain at the Adelaide Oval and went on to become the best in the world. He has scored close to 1000 runs in this stadium and will always have fond memories. That’s what he acknowledged as he went out and rightly so.

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For the legion of Virat fans it will hurt to see him fail. Each one of them want to see him score and score big. But then that’s what the sport is all about. It will test you to the very core and Virat will know it well. He will need to go back to the nets, keep training and keep believing. As long as he has the hunger and the self belief, he can turn things around and all of us need to stay with him to see him do so.