Adelaide, Oct 23: Batting stalwart Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated appearance at his favourite hunting around, the Adelaide Oval, ended in a disappointment on Thursday as the former India captain was dismissed for a four-ball duck in the ongoing second ODI against Australia.
After bagging a duck in the rain-hit first ODI in Perth, Kohli’s return to playing at the Adelaide Oval, where he has scored five international centuries – the most for any ground in his career – was expected to get him some runs under his belt, especially with a huge crowd of Indian fans present at the venue. But all of that anticipation ended in the seventh over when an impressive Xavier Bartlett hit Kohli flush on the pad with a brilliant inswinger to trap him lbw.
After failing to be in the line of the ball, Kohli opted to not go for the review after a brief chat with non-striker Rohit Sharma. It was an incredible set up from Bartlett, who bowled three deliveries away outside off before getting one to nip back in and dismiss Kohli. It also marked the first time of Kohli being dismissed for consecutive ducks in ODIs. As he walked off, the Adelaide crowd rose in a standing ovation, acknowledging the batter who has scored 976 runs at the venue – the most by any visiting player. In appreciation of the crowd giving him a standing ovation, Kohli made a gentle raise of his right hand as he walked towards the dressing room.
If this was indeed Kohli’s final outing at the iconic ground, it ended not with a flourish but with a poignant wave to fans who have witnessed some of his finest innings here. Kohli will now have the third ODI in Sydney, set to happen on Saturday, to have some runs and sign off from the Australia tour on a high.
–IANS
