IND vs AUS 2022: "Looks like he’s hit his straps again" - Brad Hodge reckons Virat Kohli is back to his best

Former Australian batter Brad Hodge feels that Virat Kohli has rediscovered his mojo, pretty much shutting the debate around his T20I spot in the Indian team. The former Aussie spinner opined that class was never a question for Kohli, and the only issue was his form, which seems to have been sorted now.

Kohli scored a crucial 63 off 48 balls in the deciding T20I against Australia in Hyderabad on Sunday, September 25. The former India captain added 104 for the third wicket with Suryakumar Yadav (69 off 36) as India chased down 187 with six wickets in hand.

The 33-year-old was also India’s leading run-getter in the Asia Cup, scoring 276 runs at an average of 92. In a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Hodge admitted that Kohli is well and truly back. He said:

“The debate has been around his form. Over a period of time, he’s struggled a little. Looks like he’s hit his straps again. Probably a similar debate to Steve Smith in the Australian team. Looks like he’s got his mojo back. He got the better of Adam Zampa, a match-up which has troubled him and it was a very well rounded innings.”

Brilliant character shown by the boys to seal the series after being down. 🇮🇳 https://t.co/qVCTXNWKH3

Kohli hit three fours and four sixes in his impressive knock. He was dismissed in the last over of the chase, but Hardik Pandya (25* off 16) played a handy cameo to take the hosts past the winning line.

“He played really well against Zampa” - Wasim Jaffer analyzes Virat Kohli’s knock

It is no secret that Adam Zampa has had the wood over Kohli in international cricket. The Australian leggie cleaned up the former Indian captain in the second T20I as well.

However, former India batter Wasim Jaffer feels Kohli batted very well against his nemesis on Sunday in Hyderabad. He said:

“He played very well. Obviously, Surya (Suryakumar) took centrestage, but he was happy to be the second fiddle to him. As and when the opportunity arose, he took on the bowlers. I thought he played really well against Adam Zampa, and literally finished off the game. Pretty happy with his knock.”

Jaffer asserted that the form of India's top four against Australia augurs well for the team. He concluded:

“Really pleased with the form of India’s top 4, the way they have batted in the series. All of them had impactful knocks, from Rohit to KL to Virat and Surya. That augurs well for the Indian team.”

🗨️🗨️ I am enjoying my process at the moment: @imVkohli

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDvAUS-3RDT20I

#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS https://t.co/7JlLTyDj6y

Rahul scored 55 off 35 in the opening T20I, while Rohit smacked an unbeaten 46 off 20 in the shortened game in Nagpur.