IND vs NZ: Former Kiwi bowler reveals one thing Virat Kohli is 'not being honest' about

Former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull has said that the Indian skipper Virat Kohli is going through a "lull" phase in his professional career after the Delhi batter got out for a duck in the second Test match in Mumbai. Doull, while speaking to Star Sports, said even Kohli knows how long it has been since he last scored a century in Test cricket, adding "he is feeling the pressure as much as any other player". Doull further stated that if Kohli says that he doesn't know how many innings he has played since his last ton, he is not being "honest".  

Doull said that Kohli is being questioned about his form because he has set such high standards in the game. The former Kiwi bowler backed Kohli and said that he needs a century to silence some of his critics. Doull jokingly added that he doesn't want Kohli to break his century drought in the second Test match against New Zealand. 

Kohli's last international century had come way back in 2019 during the historic pink-ball Test against Bangladesh. Since then, Kohli has played 12 matches in Test cricket and has hit just five fifty-plus scores with his last half-century coming against England at The Oval. Kohli has played 50 innings across all formats since his last century and has crossed the 50-run mark 20 times with the highest score of 94 not-out against West Indies in T20Is.  

India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test

Coming back to the ongoing second Test match against New Zealand, Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck by Kiwi spinner Ajaz Patel. Kohli was dismissed LBW following a contentious call by the on-field umpire. The replays showed Kohli had nicked his bat before the ball hit his pads. 

New Zealand bowled India out for 325 runs courtesy of 10-wicket-haul by Ajaz Patel. For India, opener Mayank Agarwal shone with the bat as he scored a magnificent 150 off 311 balls with a strike rate of 48.23. Axar Patel also contributed with the bat as he scored 52 off 128 balls before being dismissed by Ajaz Patel. Meanwhile, New Zealand have already lost three wickets in their first innings at a score of just 17 runs. Mohammed Siraj has picked all three wickets for India. 

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