9th June 2023, Mumbai: Virat Kohli, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, entered the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia in great form after scoring back-to-back centuries in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. However, his batting woes continued as he fell cheaply on the second day of the final at the Oval in London, getting dismissed for just 14 runs by Mitchell Starc. India ended the day at 151 for 5, still 119 runs away from avoiding the follow-on, after Australia posted a formidable total of 469 runs in their first innings. Kohli faced criticism on social media when pictures of him enjoying food in the dressing room after his dismissal went viral.
Fans took to social media to express their disappointment with Kohli’s performance, with some mocking his food indulgence and urging him to enjoy life while not worrying about cricket. The incident sparked a flurry of comments and memes on various platforms.
Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar analyzed Kohli’s dismissal during an interview with Star Sports Network. Gavaskar suggested that Kohli could have dealt with the challenging delivery by playing it off his back foot. He explained that since most batters nowadays are on the front foot due to the restriction of two bouncers per over, they struggle to adjust to short deliveries. Gavaskar noted that Kohli’s commitment to the front foot prevented him from withdrawing his bat in time.
Gavaskar also commented on the dismissals of Indian batsmen Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara, who shouldered arms to incoming deliveries from Australian pacers. He emphasized the importance of playing the ball late, particularly in English conditions, and highlighted that keeping the bat up in the air hindered their ability to bring it down when the ball nipped in.
The WTC Final continues to be an intense battle between India and Australia, and fans eagerly await how the remaining days of the match unfold. Kohli and the Indian team will be looking to make a strong comeback and overcome the challenging Australian bowling attack to secure a favorable outcome in this crucial contest.
Article by PRITESH PATEL