Virat Kohli is leading from the front: Brad Hogg

Talking about Kohli's batting, Hogg said: "As a batsman too, Kohli is on a different level to anyone else"

Virat Kohli might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour, but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg defended the India captain on Saturday, saying the visiting team derives energy from him.

"Virat Kohli is the energy of this Indian team. He is their clear leader and they feed off him. You just see him on the field - his athleticism is different and he expects that from the Indian team," Hogg told PTI.

"And what he expects from the team, he does as well, so it is not as if he is telling the team what to do without leading from the front. He is actually leading from the front and asking his teammates to follow him," he added. Talking about Kohli's batting, Hogg said: "As a batsman too, Kohli is on a different level to anyone else. Perhaps only Usman Khawaja came close, that too in the second innings where he batted with a lot of composure," Hogg, 47, who played seven Tests between 1996 to 2008.

"But even then, they don't have someone on the same level as Kohli. He is a different batsman to everybody else - he finds boundaries and rotates strike, and turns momentum of the game at will," he added.

Hogg said India would need to find balance going into the third Test to put Australia under pressure. He said both the teams might look to play a pace-bowling all-round at the MCG.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!