Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Virat Kohli after he was dismissed cheaply on day two of the Pune Test between India and New Zealand.
India resumed the day on 16-1, but Shubman Gill perished for a 30-ball 72 shortly after the score passed fifty. Gill’s dismissal brought Kohli to the crease but the former India captain fell for another low score.
Kohli had one off eight balls when an innocuous delivery from Mitchell Santner led to his downfall. Santner floated it in from around the wicket and beat Kohli in the flight as he missed a full toss while attempting to play across the line. The ball clattered into the stumps.
He was visibly fuming for missing the straight ball before walking back to the pavilion in disappointment. Kohli’s struggles with spin have been recurring for quite some time now. Since 2021, he has been dismissed 21 out of 26 times by spinners in Asia, of which 10 dismissals have been to left-arm orthodox bowlers, against whom he averages 27.10.
Manjrekar called the shot by Kohli the "worst shot of his career" as several others also reacted to the dismissal.
Oh dear! Virat will know himself that he has just played the worst shot of his career to get out. Got to feel for him…coz as always he came out with solid & honest intent.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 25, 2024
While commentating, former India head coach Ravi Shastri explained how Kohli got off the mark to a similar delivery from Santner, and his cross-batted shot led to his downfall.
"Very similar delivery, he could have taken it on the full and hit it towards mid-on. This was an easier ball to put away because this was on the full. Instead, he went far too across. He could have played it with a straighter bat and put it in the gap. It was four for the taking," Shastri stated.
India were bundled out for 156 as Santner ran riot with 7-53, his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Having already gained a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, New Zealand, with a 103-run first-innings lead, are placed in a strong position to record a rare series win against India, who are undefeated in home series since 2012.
Watch Kohli's dismissal here:
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
