IND VS NZ | Tim Southee is Virat Kohli's weakness, says Richard Hadlee
New Zealand’s greatest-ever all-rounder Richard Hadlee has stated that Virat Kohli’s inability to play swing has made Tim Southee his weakness. A proper set-up by the Kiwi pacer reaped rewards against Virat Kohli as the Indian skipper ended the Test series with a total of 38 runs across two Tests.
It won’t be unfair to say Virat Kohli has been Tim Southee’s bunny this summer after the latter got the better off the Indian skipper in the second Test at Hagley Oval. In the first innings, it wasn't much of a testing delivery, just a gentle outswinger on a fullish length that came from an angle over the wicket. Kohli leaned forward with his head falling to the off-side while the bat looked to play the shot towards mid-on.
But he missed the mark by a mile as the ball struck his pads in line with the off stump. Kohli, hesitantly and hoping for an umpire's call, went for a DRS review after discussion with Cheteshwar Pujara. But there was never a doubt with that dismissal. The giant screen displayed the three reds and Kohli made his way back to pavilion with three off 15 as his century-less run now extended to 21.
This was for the tenth time that Southee has dismissed Kohli in international cricket - thrice in Tests, six times in ODIs and once in T20Is. Sir Richard Hadlee has attested to the fact that Kohli’s inability to play swing has made Southee his weakness.
“Southee is Kohli’s weakness, he’s got him out many times with swing. Against Southee, he is planting his front foot forward, not fully so, and if the ball does something, he’s in trouble. If the ball moves away, he gets caught behind, if it nips back he is leg-before,” said Hadlee as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Kohli has been struggling with the bat since his 136 in Kolkata last November against Bangladesh. In the 21 innings he has played across format since his 70th international century, Kohli has failed to reach another triple-figure mark. And in this tour, he has managed just 218 runs with only one half-century, his worst since 2014 horror England tour.Â