'Virat Kohli was overanalyzing': Brad Hogg on his batting form
Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg has highlighted Indian batter Virat Kohli's performance in the 2nd Test against New Zealand. He said Kohli appeared to be overthinking and couldn't control his emotions, which resulted in his dismissal in the first innings. "He [Virat Kohli] just looked like he was overanalyzing. He looked as if he wasn't in control of his emotions and it showed in the shot that he played when he got out," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.
Hogg believes India underestimated New Zealand
Hogg also stated that the Indian team of underestimating their opponents, which cost them a series of losses. "They took New Zealand too lightly and they are trying to play catch-up cricket," he said. The former Australian spinner pointed out the change in India's strategy in the Pune Test, where they went for an aggressive approach.
Hogg highlights Kohli's aggression in 2nd Test
Hogg also emphasized on Kohli's heightened aggression in the second Test. "All of a sudden, you saw that mindset shift with Virat Kohli in the first innings of the second Test match. He was more aggressive, the way he strolled out there, the way that he was trying to attack the bowling," Hogg added.
Hogg's advice for Kohli and Sharma ahead of 3rd Test
Looking ahead to the 3rd and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium, Hogg stressed that both Kohli and Rohit Sharma need to up their game. "If you look at the technique of Rohit Sharma to Southee, he's going to have to be a little bit tighter. Virat Kohli has to switch on from ball one," he said. This advice comes as India hope for redemption after two back-to-back defeats against New Zealand.
Kohli's performance in 2024 and upcoming series
The Pune Test saw Kohli suffer twin failures. He was dismissed for 1 and 17 in the Test. His last eight scores in the format read 1, 17, 0, 70, 47, 29*, 6, and 17. Kohli has scored just 245 runs from 10 Test innings at an average of 27.22 this year. He owns a solitary fifty-plus score. The Indian batter would want to bounce back in the impending Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
