Indian batter Virat Kohli, the backbone of India's middle-order, is currently enduring one of the most challenging phases of his career. Kohli has found himself caught in a prolonged slump, especially in the ongoing Test series against Australia. Kohli’s recent struggles came to light during the home Test series against New Zealand where he experienced a noticeable dip in his form.
Now, in the ongoing third Test against Australia, Kohli was again seen struggling and lost his wicket cheaply. He was taken out by Josh Hazlewood when he was playing on (3). Commenting on Kohli's dismissal, Indian veteran batter Cheteshwara Pujara reckoned that Kohli has been facing new ball that has resulted in his easy dismissals. India's top-order, meanwhile, has also struggled to handle pressure posed by Australian bowlers. Due to the failure of India's top order batters, Kohli has had to bat early in the innings.
“He has been forced to play the new ball. He has gotten out whenever he has played the new ball. When he played the old ball, he scored a hundred in Perth. So that’s also a very big point,” Pujara said on Star Sports.
“His technique is not made for the new ball. His batting should come after 10, 15 or 20 overs. If he plays the new ball, the bowlers are fresh, and their confidence is also high. When they get two wickets, the entire team is charged up. So when you come to bat at that stage, it’s not easy," he said.
Kohli, so far, has managed to score a century in the ongoing series. He smashed 100 unbetaen in the first Test in Perth. Still, runs have dried up for Kohli as he is yet to make a significant mark with the bat.