Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh noted that Virat Kohli’s body language suggested he was likely to fall soon in the first ODI at Optus Stadium, Perth, on Sunday, October 19. The star batsman was dismissed for an eight-ball duck in his much-awaited return to international cricket after a seven-month break. Waugh highlighted the challenges that even experienced batsmen face when returning to international cricket after a long break, especially in challenging conditions against a high-quality attack.
Kohli came in at No. 3 after Rohit Sharma’s early dismissal in the fifth over, with the task of negotiating the new ball in overcast conditions on a lively Perth surface. He faced Australian pace duo Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who tested his technique from the start. Kohli was hit on the pads with his first delivery, and Starc followed with a maiden to spare, keeping the pressure on the batsman.
The 36-year-old struggled to find the gaps and time the ball effectively during his short stay at the crease. In the penultimate ball of the fifth over, he almost lost his wicket when he tried to play a delivery outside off stump, but he survived. However, the reprieve was short-lived and Kohli was dismissed shortly afterwards in a manner similar to his earlier close call.
“You could almost feel his dismissal coming as the pressure mounts on Virat Kohli. As experienced as he is, you could tell he was getting a bit of an itch,” Waugh told Fox Cricket during the match.
Kohli was dismissed from the very first ball of the seventh over, trying to take the initiative against Starc in an attempt to clear the target. He hit an upward drive against a full-length delivery that was moving away from him, but only managed a thick outside edge, which flew to point, where Cooper Connolly took an excellent catch.
The dismissal was Kohli’s first duck in an ODI in Australia and his first overall since the 2023 ODI World Cup against England at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
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