Former India coach Ravi Shastri has no-nonsense advice for Virat Kohli to get his mojo back as the Boxing Day Test hangs in the balance with a day left.

Kohli displayed some discipline in the first innings of the MCG Test, but after Yashasvi Jaiswal's run-out, the lapse of concentration led to him making an error as he once again poked a delivery outside off-stump to get caught behind for 36. The Indian batting maestro is under the scanner after his underwhelming show in the last few matches. He did hit a century at Perth, but since then, he kept getting out in the same fashion - edging the ball behind - and failing to score big.

Shastri, who shared a great coach-captain partnership with Kohli in the past, advised him to shut the outside noise and stay focused on being disciplined while batting.

"My advice would be that you should bat exactly how you batted in the first innings," Shastri said on Star Sports. "Forget everything else. Jo bhi log keh rahe hai vo bhuul jaao, vo bhaad mein gaya (Whatever people are saying, forget it, it can go to hell). Bat how you have been doing because your purple patch will come. Discipline is discipline. Leave the balls outside off, make Australia bowl to your body, show patience, show discipline," Shastri said on Star Sports.

The former India head coach predicted if Kohli manages to be patient and show discipline, then he is going to score big runs in the next couple of years.

"A lot of runs will come. I am saying Virat Kohli will score a ton of runs in the next two to three years if he takes this approach," he added.

Virat Kohli key for India to snatch a win on Day 5

The 37-year-old has scored 162 runs so far in this series at an average of 32.40 and the pressure is mounting on him to put up a big score.

India have a chance to make it 2-1 on Monday, but it is going to be a tricky task for the batters. Australia have already taken a 333-run lead, and their last pair, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland, will look to add more to it. India would want Kohli to score big on the final day during the chase to put up a fight. The Indian maestro thrives under pressure, and it would be the perfect set-up for him to find his groove back.