Another failure after being trapped early by Colin de Grandhomme on Day 2 in the second innings in Christchurch ended Virat Kohli's miserable Test series in New Zealand where the Indian captain averaged a mediocre 9.50 across four innings.
Right through, Kohli looked mentally underprepared for the contest, edging out twice in Wellington - once on a cover drive and then going for a pull - and being dismissed LBW, plumb in front in both innings at the Hagley Oval.
For VVS Laxman, however, Kohli's struggles on the tour can be put down to his issues resurfacing against the moving ball, as first exposed on that disastrous maiden tour of England more than five years back.
"The problem for Virat Kohli is not the LBW dismissal, but the way the bat is coming down," Laxman told Star Sports after stumps, with India 90/6, only 97 runs ahead of the home side. "This was the way he was getting out in England against the moving ball, especially against James Anderson."
"In this series, we have seen the bat coming down at an angle, that is why there is always going to be a gap between bat and ball. He will not have any time to meet the ball once there is movement."
"In this series, in these two innings, the old habit of Kohli had come back to haunt him," the former right-hand batsman added.
Scott Styris, Laxman's commentary partner, though, reckons the Kiwi pace attack also deserves a lot of credit for how well it went against Kohli.
"One must give credit to New Zealand for planning and executing and the plans have worked," he said. "Whoever is doing the planning, needs a pat on the back. Stump to stump, channel to start with, away swinger to get him thinking and then the one that comes back into the stumps to get him out."
Kohli had an outstanding series in England in 2018 where he redeemed himself against James Anderson, Stuart Broad in difficult conditions, scoring 593 runs, including two hundreds, at an average of 59.30.
(Inputs from Star Sports)
