VVS Laxman advises struggling Virat Kohli to adapt Kane Williamson's approach in ongoing Test series

Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman has said that Virat Kohli looked unusually desperate to score runs and his lack of discipline and patience have taken a toll on his form in the ongoing Wellington Test between India and New Zealand.

Laxman's remarks came after Kohli was dismissed for just 19 runs on Day three of the first Test on Sunday. Even in the first innings, Kohli failed to make any difference as he was sent back with just two runs to his account.

Speaking during the post-match show on Star Spots, Laxman suggested that it is important for Kohli to respect the ball in the current New Zealand conditions as he gave the example of Kane Williamson, who is currently the top-scorer in the match with 153-ball 89 that he scored in BlackCaps' first innings on Saturday.

"The wicket was slow, there was not enough swing. And that's when they went to a different ploy altogether. They were attacking the body of the Indian batsmen with a lot of short-pitched deliveries. I also noticed that there was a lot of discipline on display from the New Zealand batsmen.

I think he [Kohli] has to show more discipline and more patience. It should be just like the way he showed after the tentative start. I think, for a stroke player, especially when someone is low on scores, not high on confidence, you want to score a lot more runs. You want to attack, want the opposition to bowl attacking lines and lengths. New Zealand have done really differently," Laxman said on Sunday.

"They did not give Virat Kohli anything to score. Whenever the ball was bowled at the stumps, Virat Kohli was scoring. Whenever there was room offered, he was scoring. But whenever it was short-pitched, it was into his body. It was almost testing his patience.

The Big 4 also are stroke players. The way they get their runs is by scoring quickly. But what we have seen in this series so far, especially Virat, he was forced to play that ball outside the off-stump," he added.

Giving further advice to Kohli, Laxman explained," The discipline that we see from Virat Kohli at the start of the innings was missing. Even in the 2nd innings, he was looking to play those lavish drives which we don't really see from Virat even in subcontinent conditions.

In these conditions, you have got to respect the ball which is pitched up at the start of the innings. I thought the way Kane Williamson approached his innings in the 1st innings is the way to handle this New Zealand attack."

At stumps of Day three on Sunday, India were 144 for 4 as they still trailed BlackCaps by 39 runs in the first Test in Wellington's Basin Reserve.