A riveting day of action has set up the Delhi Test match for an exciting finish, with Australia inching ahead with a lead going into the third day. Here is all the in-between action you may (or may not) have missed from the day’s play.

Foodie Virat gets a surprise

Virat Kohli was a self-confessed foodie before a drastic diet change in the early 2010s made him what he continues to be – an uber-fit athlete who has motivated an entire generation of aspiring cricketers. Yet, just like the rest of us, Kohli is still excited by the sight of food, even if it is all the grilled and baked stuff he usually devours.

Sitting in the Kotla pavilion, Kohli was in the midst of a seemingly intense discussion with coach Rahul Dravid after his dismissal when he was intervened by a staff member from behind. Kohli turned around to see a couple of food parcels in his hand, and out came the child within, squeaking in joy and clapping his hands. How do you get over a bad decision? You eat!

https://twitter.com/KanavEdits/status/1626882658528636928

Sightscreen woes

The Kotla sightscreen was the subject of brief annoyance on the first day, even forcing Rohit Sharma to personally run to the ropes and speak to a security guard. More of the same followed on the second day. The sightscreens on both ends feature advertisements in the middle, manually draped with white overalls by a couple of members of the ground staff after each over. It is a thankless job.

Before the last ball of the 77th over of India’s innings, R Ashwin pulled out from his stance, for the white sheet had been prematurely removed. It took a couple of attempts to put it back on, with Ashwin trying to gesture instructions from the batting crease. This time, it was Pat Cummins who had to ditch his run-up and go sort it out.

The awkward hug

You never come in the way of a sprinting Jadeja, certainly not when he has got Kohli for company as batting partner. Steve Smith made that mistake, jaywalking in front of Jadeja completing a run in the 41st over. Jadeja did not see Smith, Smith did not see Jadeja, and the two rammed into one another.

But instead of rolling about like footballers with fake injuries, they turned the collision into a jumpy, tangly hug. The embrace was followed by joyous grins from both and even a friendly fist bump. Allan Border, look away, please.

KL loses the ball

KL Rahul is a fantastic fielder – if you have even an iota of doubt, he gave a fine reminder on the first day, diving to his right to snaffle Usman Khawaja’s reverse sweep. In the dying stages of the second evening, though, he found himself centre of an embarrassing gaffe in the outfield.

Khawaja’s slog sweep in the sixth over flew to deep midwicket, and everyone turned towards Rahul… but he did not move. Stationed not too far away, he stood motionless as the ball crashed into the boundary boards, having probably lost sight of the ball in the setting sun.

It made for a funny social media picture, but it did not really harm India. Next ball, Khawaja swept again, but only to find Shreyas Iyer at leg-slip, who blocked the shot and somehow caught the ball.

A walk to forget

Kohli’s dismissal was one of the talking points of India’s innings: Was it a bat first? Was it pad first? Was it that simultaneous bat-pad thing that kicks in Clause 36.2.2 of the MCC Laws? Judging by his reactions, Kohli was not happy with what he saw in replays until someone quelled his hanger (see point 1).

Later in the day, when Australia came out to bat, Kohli took Nitin Menon – the on-field umpire during the said dismissal – aside for a walk. The two walked together from the crease to the leg-umpire’s spot, animatedly discussing something. Now we do not know what was said, but there might have been a mention of an inside edge somewhere.

 

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IndiaAustralia Ravindra JadejaSteve SmithVirat KohliSeries Editorial