New Zealand had a solid first hour on Day 2 of the second Test in Pune as Mitchell Santner picked two quick wickets to leave India at 68 for three in the first innings, a day after the visitors were folded for 259. Using his natural variation, the spinner troubled both Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, dismissing the overnight batter LBW, before the latter played all around a dipping full toss. At the end of the opening hour at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, it was Kohli’s dismissal that left commentators baffled.
It happened in the 24th over of the innings when Santner angled in a low full-toss delivery, which slid towards the middle stump. Kohli went down on one knee in a rather uncharacteristic fashion and went for the hack across the line, but the ball snuck under the bat and rattled against the middle and leg.
The former India captain was left shellshocked at his dismissal as he stood there for seconds, before swinging his bat in anger and later walking towards the dugout shaking his head with disappointment as Pune crowd were left in stunned silence.
“It was the most unusual dismissal…the most un-Kohli-like dismissal,” exclaimed a commentator as replays of wicket were shown.
Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri dissect Kohli’s dismissal
Former India cricketers Gavaskar and Shastri joined the commentary box minutes after the dismissal and the former captain reckoned that Kohli should have attempted a flick shot against the fuller delivery.
“All he had to do was flick it, through the midwicket line. He does it so well with bottom hand. But then the bottom of the bat hit the ground, and that did not help. He was very keen to come out and impose himself.,” he said.
Former India head coach spoke much on the same line, saying: “Very unusual. He could have taken it on the full and taken it through mid-on.”
Kohli’s vulnerability against spin over the last few years has been no secret. In the last three years, he has fallen to the variety 21 times in 26 innings on Asian soil, scoring 606 runs at just 28.85. And, 10 of those dismissals came against left arm orthodox spin, against whom he averages 27.10.
Moments after the drinks break at the end of the opening hour on Day 2, India lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 30 off 60 before falling to Glenn Phillips.
