"I am surprised to see where he was standing" - Dinesh Karthik dissects Virat Kohli's technical flaw in the 2nd IND vs SL 2022 Test

Indian wicketkeeper and cricket expert Dinesh Karthik gave his opinion on star batter Virat Kohli's dismissal in the second innings of the pink ball Test against Sri Lanka.

Many believe Kohli was unlucky once again in the match in Bengaluru. He tried to play a slightly shorter delivery from Praveen Jayawickrama on the back foot, but the ball ended up keeping a bit low and struck him in front.

The 33-year-old received a similar grubber in the first innings and was in disbelief as he walked back to the shed.

While the first innings dismissal was something Kohli could have done nothing about, Karthik reckons he stood too much to the leg side of the ball in the second innings. The former wicketkeeper believes that led to Kohli's downfall.

Speaking to Cricbuzz after the end of play on Day 2, here's what Dinesh Karthik had to say about Kohli's dismissal in the second innings.

"I am pretty surprised to see where he was standing in the crease. He was standing much outside leg stump. That you do when you are worried about LBW. But the moment you stand outside leg stump, you need to go across to go and meet balls even if it is on middle or on off stump. Whereas when you stand on middle and leg stump, you end up playing them a lot straighter."

Dinesh Karthik believes Kohli would have been in a much better position to counter the delivery had he been standing on middle and leg stump. The 36-year-old feels the former Indian captain should have expected such a delivery on this pitch. He added:

"The one that comes in has the potential to get you LBW, and the one that goes away, you tend to feel that ball. So I am very surprised with the strategy he used to play spin. In the first innings we can agree that the ball kept a bit low, but you expect the kind of balls that he got in the second innings on this pitch that's not true on its bounce."

---

Shreyas Iyer's trait very important on turning track: DInesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik was impressed with the way Shreyas Iyer batted on the rank turner in Bengaluru. Smashing fifties in both innings, the 27-year-old took the attack to the Sri Lankan spinners and didn't let them settle on a length. Dinesh Karthik feels this is crucial while playing on such wickets. He stated:

"The beauty about Shreyas Iyer's batting in this game was the trouble that he caused the bowlers in terms of length. The moment they got fuller, he wasn't afraid to go over the top or beat the infield wherever the gaps were. That is a very important trait when you are playing on turning tracks."

India will go into Day 3 in an extremely dominant position as a 2-0 series win looks like an inevitable result. The hosts need nine wickets to seal the victory while Sri Lanka require 419 more runs.