Another day, but same mode of dismissal for Virat Kohli. The scene that has been been happening from Perth repeated itself again as Virat Kohli once again fell to the outside off-stump trap. In his final innings of the series, onus was on Kohli to take India to a huge lead, instead he fell for just six off 12 balls. Off Scott Boland‘s outside off-stump bait, Kohli poked with hard hands and was caught in the slips. But usually he maintains a stoic face after getting out, this time he showed absolute disgust.
Kohli lost his wicket on outside the off stump line for the eighth successive time in this series.
The Scott Boland show is delivering at the SCG!
He’s got Virat Kohli now. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/12xG5IWL2j
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 4, 2025
Meanwhile, largely due to Pant’s breathtaking knock that India finished the second day at 141 for 6 for an overall lead of 145. Pant entrained the packed SCG with four monstrous sixes and six boundaries.
His back-to-back sixes off Mitchell Starc into the heritage Ladies Members Stands were for posterity.
Pant’s knock prevented Indian second innings from falling apart with the visitors top and lower order struggling to negotiate Aussie attack on a track that was aided seam and bounce.
This was after unheralded bowling duo of Prasidh Krishna (3/42) and Nitish Reddy (2/32) complemented Mohammed Siraj (3/51) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/33) to shoot Australia out for 181.
On a difficult track, Virat Kohli (6) and his top-order colleagues found Scott Boland (3/38) too hot to handle.
The match is all but certain to end on the third day but if India will be able to defend the total will very much depend on whether skipper Jasprit Bumrah is fit to bowl full tilt.
Bumrah underwent precautionary scans for an unspecified injury after he left the field in the post-lunch session in which he bowled just one over.
If even a half-fit Bumrah bowls, it won’t be easy for Australia to chase even a 175-run target on a track with variable bounce and widening cracks.
With PTI inputs
