NEW DELHI: He was quite disciplined not to play the shot outside off-stump, which has become a major problem for him, for most of the innings, but still Virat Kohli‘s gritty innings came to a disappointing end in the closing minutes of the second day of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
The Indian stalwart was caught behind off Scott Boland, falling prey to the dreaded fourth and fifth stump line he had meticulously avoided for most of his innings.
Scorecard: India vs Australia, 4th Test
Kohli’s cautious 36 off 86 balls was instrumental in steadying India’s reply to Australia’s imposing first-innings total of 474. His partnership with young Yashasvi Jaiswal, worth 102 runs for the third wicket, provided much-needed stability after the early dismissals of Rohit Sharma (3) and KL Rahul (24).
However, the promising stand unraveled with a mix-up between Kohli and Jaiswal, resulting in the latter’s run-out for a well-made 82.
Just seven balls later, Kohli’s instinctive poke at an outside-off delivery from Boland handed Australia a crucial breakthrough. It marked the third time Boland has dismissed Kohli in just five Test innings, with the Indian batter managing only 27 runs off 73 deliveries in those innings.
The twin setbacks reduced India from a relatively comfortable 153/2 to 154/4, leaving the team in a precarious position. The situation worsened when nightwatchman Akash Deep was dismissed by Boland for a 13-ball duck in the penultimate over of the day, capping a stellar day for the Australian attack.
India finished the day at 164/5, still trailing by 310 runs, with significant pressure on the remaining batters to deliver on Day Three. Boland’s disciplined bowling and ability to deliver under pressure once again proved decisive, tilting the match further in Australia’s favour.