‘More than technical, his aggressive thinking is causing problems’: Pathan has his say on Kohli’s struggle in England

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has said Kohli’s aggressive instinct is the reason behind his lack of runs, rather than technical deficiency.

Ever since Team India began its England tour, a lot has been spoken about the form of captain Virat Kohli. Unlike 2018, the India skipper has struggled quite a lot in the ongoing Test series. So far, Kohli has scored 124 runs in five innings, averaging 24.80. Though he scored a half-century in the second innings of the Headingley Test, his technique still remains a major concern.

Irfan Pathan's take on Kohli's struggle in England (HT Collage)

Meanwhile, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has said Kohli’s aggressive instinct is the reason behind his lack of runs, rather than technical deficiency. In a conversation with former India opener Aakash Chopra in a YouTube video, Pathan attributed the India captain’s poor run to his dominating nature.

“I feel more than the preparation, Virat Kohli looking to dominate is forcing him to play deliveries outside off-stump. It is just that small thing. More than technical, Virat Kohli's aggressive thinking is causing him problems,” Pathan told Chopra during an interaction.

Former India women’s team captain Anjum Chopra also featured in the video and shared his opinion on Kohli’s struggle on English soil.

“He also knows that he has to score runs. But the thing about error-free batting, that he will make a statement is putting more weight on his shoulders and maybe not allowing him to move freely. I feel he needs to bring his standard slightly lower than the error-free batting he is trying to do,” Anjum said.

England won the third Test in Leeds to level the series 1-1. Both teams will look to take an unassailable lead in the 5-match series when the square off against each other in the fourth game which begins at The Oval, London.