Watch: Virat Kohli was left shell-shocked as a fine innings in his 100th Test match was cut short on 45 by a delivery that spun sharply.
The former India skipper received a vociferous cheer as he came out to bat with India’s scorecard reading 80-2 in the first innings after India won the toss and opted to bat first. Playing his 100th Test, Kohli started off his knock in Mohali with intent and started off with a classic straight drive for a four. The RCB cricketer, who has not scored a hundred in international cricket since November 2019, looked in fine touch, timing the ball perfectly and piercing the gaps with precision, as he inched towards what would have been his 29th Test fifty.
However, it was not to be as Lasith Embuldeniya, bowling the 44th over of the innings, sent down a beauty, leaving fans and Kohli himself in disbelief. The No.4 batter was deep in his crease to defend a delivery, and had the line covered as well but could not account for the ball spinning away to beat his outside edge before rattling his off-stump. The dismissal left Kohli surprised, as he stood at the wicket for a moment before walking back for a 76-ball 45.
Kohli has made a habit of expressing his shock when bowled by a spinner, with his reactions to being bowled by Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali sparking memes galore.
Despite the inability to get a big score, Kohli scaled another feat during his knock, as he became only the sixth cricketer from India to get to 8,000 runs in the format. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag are the others ahead of him in the all-time run-scorers list from India.
His average in Tests since 2020 is now 31.31, with an average of 28.11 at home.
