New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS): Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has highlighted Virat Kohli's struggles against deliveries outside off-stump when the right-hander was dismissed for just seven runs in the pink-ball Test after falling to a probing delivery from Mitchell Starc.

A short-of-length ball, angling across and landing on a probing fifth-stump line, lured Kohli into hesitation whether to play or leave, and finally got caught in the slips, where Steve Smith was positioned perfectly.

"One important reason why Virat's average has slipped to 48 now is the unfortunate weakness outside off. But more crucially, his adamance to not try another way to tackle it,” Manjrekar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Kohli’s Test average has slipped to 48, underlining his diminishing returns in the format. Despite his impressive record at Adelaide, with an average of over 63 and more than 500 runs, the venue offered no respite this time.

Kohli’s dismissal was part of a broader collapse that saw India lose three quick wickets after being comfortably placed at 69/1. The team’s batting woes deepened as Australia capitalised on the momentum, their bowlers exploiting the conditions with precision. Starc claimed three wickets as India were reduced to 82 for 4 at the stroke of Lunch.