Kohli was looking to reach for the ball, trying to play the ball early: Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian captain – Virat Kohli's form concerns remained persistent in the recent rescheduled Test against England as Kohli scored 31 runs in the two innings. Despite being in the driver's seat for the first three days, India lost momentum in the second innings and lost the fifth Test by seven wickets. 

Renowned Indian legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar feels Virat Kohli's lean phase, and his enthusiasm to return to form provoked him to play every ball in a rush to score runs. According to him, maybe that is where Kohli must reflect to improve his performance.

"The trick to play in England is to play as late as possible. Then you are allowing the ball to its bit, and then you are playing the ball. From what little I saw in the highlights, it seemed that Kohli was looking to reach for the ball, trying to play the ball early," Gavaskar said.

In the recent Test match, he also questioned Kohli's tendency to play outside the crease in English conditions. 

"I think you obviously plan a little bit, visualise what the bowler is going to do the next day. Therefore, you can stay outside the crease, but you can go with a pre-meditated plan of batting, which means the bowler has to bowl the same line you are expecting. If he doesn't bowl in those lines, you are in trouble," he added.

In 2018, Kohli was the top run-scorer with 593 runs in 5 Tests after scoring two centuries and three fifties in England, making a record for most runs scored in a Test series between England and India. 

Gavaskar added that in 2018, Virat played the deliveries late around the off-stump; as per him, that is the way to play in English circumstances. 

In the 2021 series, Virat Kohli struggled with the same issues as the batter and finished the 5-match series with 249 runs. However, number one ranked test batsman Joe Root broke Virat Kohli's record in the recent series as he smashed 737 runs.

The legendary batter highlighted the fact that 'Cricket is all about instincts.' However, planning beforehand gives you the advantage of understanding the bowler's strengths, but at the end of the day, the player should follow their instincts to perform better.