Simon Katich, a former Australian batter, took a hard hit at the dismissal of Virat Kohli during the second innings of India’s Boxing Day Test. The remark was such: “The king is dead,” as the star batter from India fell cheaply to Mitchell Starc for 5 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday. Set a target difficult enough to chase down-340 runs-India copped a major blow within the first session of Day 5. Kohli, on 3, was out in the last over before the lunch break, edging a wide delivery by Mitchell Starc to the slips.
In fact, Kohli’s outing is the most forgetful in this series yet. He started with a dismal score of five. Then he went on to score a century in the second innings for the series opener in Perth. Since then, he has scored 7, 11, 3, 36 and 5 in the next five innings. Total: 67 runs so far in four averages in four matches.
“The King is dead. He trudges off. King Bumrah has taken the mantle now. Kohli looks dejected with himself. That was a big knock for him. He has come up short. Australia will be very, very happy with the situation they find themselves in.”
Bumrah has almost single-handedly kept India alive in this Test series, having taken 30 wickets at an average of 12.83 in eight innings. He has already played 44 Test matches and taken 203 wickets.
Kohli’s dismissal left India reeling at 33 for 3 by the lunch interval, with their hopes of salvaging the Test hanging by a thread. Post lunch, India mounted a spirited fightback, courtesy of Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair exhibited composure and grit, stitching them together during a crucial 88-run stand. However, the resistance crumbled after the tea break when Pant fell to a rush of blood as he was dismissed for 30.
The visitors were bundled out for just 34 runs in 20.3 overs, losing their last seven wickets. With Nathan Lyon dismissing Mohammed Siraj and sending the MCG crowd of more than 74,000 into a frenzy, the last Indian wicket fell well before 14 overs remaining in the day. Thus ended an epic contest between the two arch-rivals.
It is indeed disappointing for India as they could have drawn the match but have ended up on the losing side.
