
New Delhi, Aug 30: Former England cricketer-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain has dissected India captain Virat Kohli's struggle with the bat in the ongoing tour of England.
Kohli - who is also the batting mainstay of the Indian side - has managed just 124 runs in three Test matches. His highest score 55 came in the second innings of the third Test at Headingley, which Team India lost by an innings and 76 runs.
Kohli's mode of dismissal and his struggle against swing bowling on the entire tour paints a grim picture and that has put extra pressure over India's middle-order which has failed to live up to the expectations.
In the second innings of the Headingley Test, Kohli looked in sublime touch against the old ball but was dismissed early on Day four when England captain Joe Root operated his bowlers with the second new ball.
Commenting upon Kohli's constant struggle against swing Hussain in his latest column for Dailymail wrote, "He [Kohli] did go through a spell on the third day, admittedly against an older ball, where he was leaving it well. But it's harder to leave the new ball because it swings later, and he was out again on Saturday in a familiar manner."
While decoding Kohli's struggle against English swing bowlers James Anderson and Ollie Robinson - who dismissed the Indian captain two times each, Hussain claimed the right-handed batsman isn't picking up the line of Anderson and Robinson.
Hussain wrote further, "Kohli has played at balls he could be leaving, he seems to have that slight technical issue I highlighted in these pages with the positioning of his back foot and he is not picking up the line of Anderson and Robinson. He is not sure whether to play or leave and whether to set himself for the inswinger or not. He doesn't know what to do. It's high-class bowling and it's not going to get any easier for him."
Kohli's drought for a century drought in international cricket has surpassed 50+ innings.
After losing the second Test at Lord's, England came back strongly to return with an emphatic win over India in the third Test. However, Hussain cautioned Joe Root-led side to not get complacent and reminded the hosts of India's famous fightback after they lost the Adelaide Test, after getting bundled out for 36. India went on beating Australia 2-1 and created history Down Under.
"Remember, they were bowled out for 36 by Australia in Adelaide late last year but came back to pull off a famous series win. India do have a lot of strength of character and fight, and central to that is their captain," Hussain further wrote.
With the series evenly poised 1-1, the fourth Test will kick off on September 2 at Oval, London.