High-class bowling not to get any easier for Virat Kohli: Nasser Hussain makes big statement on Indian skipper's barren run

After Lord's heroics, Team India stumbled in the third Test of the five-match series versus England at Headingley, Leeds. From a 1-0 lead, the visitors surrendered the momentum to lose the Test by an innings and 76 runs. The one-sided contest exposed India's fragile middle order once again, which has been underperforming for quite long.

While the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have not been consistent at all and a big score eludes them both, the Indian captain Virat Kohli's barren run has continued in the England series; becominga cause of concern for the team management. Kohli managed to cross the 50-run mark for the first time in India's ongoing tour of the United Kingdom, however, the 32-year-old looked out of sorts on Day 4's morning session, against the incoming deliveries or the ones targetted on the fourth-fifth stump line.

Speaking on Kohli's struggles and his indifferent run, former England captain Nasser Hussain wrote in his coloumn for Daily Mail, "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."

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“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,” Hussain added.

Kohli's form becomes very crucial for India as Joe Root-led England have managed to level the series with two more Tests left. His last ton in international cricket came in November, 2019. Team India will desperately need a big score from Kohli to set the tone for the remainder of the Tests.

The fourth and penultimate Test commences from September 2 at Kennington Oval, London.