The Indian team began its first innings on the third day of the Gabba Test in Brisbane. After Mitchell Starc dealt significant blows, Josh Hazlewood delivered a major setback to Team India by dismissing Virat Kohli. Kohli was caught out by a delivery outside the off-stump from Hazlewood. This continues to be a recurring issue for Kohli, who has often been dismissed by deliveries outside his off-stump. Despite working on it in net practice, he is frequently seen losing control when faced with such balls in matches.

This persistent flaw in Kohli’s game is not only costing him but also putting Team India in a difficult position. With India on 22 runs, Hazlewood struck again, delivering a blow to Kohli's defense and dismissing him for just 3 runs.

Hazlewood, who returned to the Gabba Test after missing the second Test, once again dismissed Kohli in a similar fashion. By consistently bowling at an off-stump length, Hazlewood forced Kohli to make the same mistake once again. This dismissal pattern has been a consistent issue for Kohli, who was dismissed in a similar manner by Hazlewood during the Perth Test. The same mistake occurred in the Pink Ball Test, where Kohli fell to balls outside the off-stump when it wasn’t necessary.

In the first innings of the Perth Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Hazlewood had also dismissed Kohli in the same manner, forcing the Indian captain to walk back after scoring just 5 runs. Kohli had bounced back with a century in the second innings, but his troubles resurfaced in the second Test, where he struggled in both innings, scoring 7 and 11 runs, respectively. Again, his downfall came from playing at deliveries outside the off-stump. This continued issue with out-swinging deliveries has seen Kohli fail in the fourth innings of three consecutive matches.

Kohli’s repeated failure to cope with deliveries outside the off-stump has become a glaring weakness. The opposition bowlers have now identified this pattern and exploited it with consistency. The "secret" to Kohli’s dismissals is no longer a mystery. Until Kohli addresses this flaw in his game, it seems he may continue to face struggles in future matches.