He is the most prized scalp for any team he holds his bat against—that’s how big a batsman Virat Kohli is for the Indian cricket team. Virat Kohli, who has rarely been seen out of form ever since his arrival into the Indian team, hasn’t got a score in excess of 20. He has an average of 50+ in all three formats. The whole season he was notching up the runs but Australia pegged him back. The visitors who are 1-o up in the series, have curbed Kohli and that is a big victory.
Sports writers have been lashing out at the Indian captain, that is how it works in India. India had lost two wickets and the score was 112 when Virat Kohli got out. It was a debatable decision, which could have gone either way. During the knock, he looked set for a big one. He was on 15, early jitters had vanished.
That is when, Hazlewood upped the ante to get an in-dipper to Virat Kohli, who had his body weight on the front foot because of the uneven bounce in the pitch. The ball darts back at the last instance and Virat looked to go low and meet the ball with his bat. Thud! The ball had hit the bat and the pad. Both happened together leaving a doubt in the umpire’s mind, who still after dilly-dallying raised his finger.
Virat was quick to take the DRS, he believed he had got a bat to that. Virat was optimistic in taking the review even though he had not had any luck with it.
The replays suggested it was a close one, but Virat had to make the long walk back after the third umpire was convinced that the ball hit the pad before the bat. That is what you call, ‘touch and go’. One may reckon, the benefit of doubt should have gone in the batsman’s favour, also considering his wicket could change equations.
But then, the decision of the on-field umpire matters a lot, doesn’t it?
