Hanuma Vihari and Cheteshwar Pujara shared their thoughts on Virat Kohli’s dismissal in the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Cheteshwar Pujara also said that the extra bounce did the trick, as Virat Kohli had not intended to play the shot in the first innings of the Test match.
The visitors won the toss and chose to bat first at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday, November 22. They lost their first two wickets for just 14 runs on the board. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal were dismissed for ducks. KL Rahul opened the innings in the absence of skipper Rohit Sharma.
Virat Kohli Dismissed for Just Five Runs in First Innings in Perth
The 36-year-old batter came to bat at No. 4 with India struggling at 14/2 after 11 overs on the opening day of the match. However, Kohli was dismissed cheaply in the first innings, adding to India’s woes. The right-handed batter managed to score just 5 runs off 12 balls before being dismissed.
Right-arm fast bowler Josh Hazlewood bowled a short-of-a-length delivery with extra bounce, which took an edge from the former India captain. Usman Khawaja took a simple catch to dismiss Virat Kohli in the 17th over. India was left struggling at 32/3 after his dismissal in the first innings.
Virat Kohli Didn’t Intent To Play There – Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara, who was on the commentary panel, pointed out that the extra bounce on a back-of-length delivery forced Virat Kohli to edge the ball unintentionally. Hanuma Vihari also highlighted that Kohli had to return to the dressing room despite looking comfortable at the crease.
“There was extra bounce on the ball; it was back of length. He didn’t intend to play there, but the extra bounce caused the ball to hit the bat.” Pujara said.
“Hazlewood picked up an important wicket. Virat Kohli was looking good but had to return to the pavilion,” Vihari said.
BIG UPSET FOR INDIA! #HanumaVihari and @cheteshwar1 react as Kohli falls to an uneven bounce! India loses crucial wickets in the 1st Test of the #ToughestRivalry 🫣
Watch #AUSvINDonStar 👉 LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1 pic.twitter.com/1OJpEzdcdK
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 22, 2024
Josh Hazlewood Takes Four Wickets in India’s First Innings in Perth
The Jasprit Bumrah-led team lost wickets at regular intervals before Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy added a 48-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Skipper Pat Cummins broke the partnership by dismissing Pant, who scored 37 runs off 78 balls with the help of three boundaries and one six.
Nitish Kumar Reddy was the last man to be dismissed as India were bowled out for just 150 runs in the first innings. Nitish Kumar, who made his Test debut, scored 41 runs off 59 balls with six fours and one six. None of the Indian batters reached the half-century mark in the challenging batting conditions.
Josh Hazlewood led Australia’s bowling attack with four wickets, while Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Mitchell Marsh each took two. Nine of the ten dismissals in India’s batting lineup came from edges to the slip cordon. The Australian pacers consistently exploited awkward lengths after losing the toss.
Also read: Watch: Rishabh Pant treats Pat Cummins like a schoolboy; smashes him for a no-look sweep 6
