New Delhi: Australian bowlers exposed Virat Kohli’s Achilles heel yet again as the Indian batter failed to capitalise on a good start, falling for 17 off 69 balls at the start of the second session. Kohli was dismissed poking outside off for a remarkable seventh time in the series and continued his disastrous run in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy since scoring his 30th century in the opening Test in Perth.
Since the Perth ton, Kohli has managed only 79 runs in his last six innings. He looked set for a big score on Friday after surviving a close call on the first ball and weathering the early storm against the new ball on a green pitch but his familiar frailties came back to haunt him early in the second session.
After stand-skipper Jasprit Bumrah, leading Team India in place of Rohit Sharma, who chose to ‘opt-out’ of the playing X1, won the toss and chose to bat first in overcast conditions, the visitors were off to a poor start, losing the openers inside 10 overs, Kohli and Shubmman Gill steadied the ship with a 40-run stand. But a poor shot on the last ball before Lunch led to Gill’s dismissal and opened the doors for the Aussies.
Boland exposes Kohli’s weakness again
Kohli was dismissed by his arch-nemesis Scott Boland, who got rid of the star Indian batter for the fourth time in six innings. Kohli’s 17-run knock came through runs between the wickets with his 69 balls becoming the longest innings in his Test career without a boundary.
Kohli’s poor form stretches back to the three-match home Test series against New Zealand where he managed only 93 runs in the three matches. However, fans rejoiced after watching their hero find his mojo back with a superb unbeaten ton in Perth. But the veteran batter failed to carry his form forward in the series, failing to make an impact in the next four Tests.
In 2024, Kohli scored just 417 runs in 10 Test matches at an average of 24.52, including a solitary ton.
Kohli would have loved to start the new year with a bang but his hopes were dashed by Boland. The Indian superstar now has one opportunity left to make an impact in the series.
Can he make it count?
Australia vs India 5th Test: Virat Kohli was dismissed poking outside off for a remarkable seventh time in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
