Following the early dismissals of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Cheteshwar Pujara, there was hope that Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane would stabilize India's innings and bridge the gap.
On Day 2 of the ongoing World Test Championship 2023 Final, the Indian bowlers breathed a sigh of relief when they successfully bowled Australia out for 469 runs. However, what unfolded next was a distressing sight for Indian fans worldwide as Team India experienced a disastrous collapse, resulting in the quick departures of their top batters.
Following the early dismissals of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Cheteshwar Pujara, there was hope that Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane would stabilize India’s innings and bridge the gap. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when Mitchell Starc swiftly removed Kohli for a mere 14 runs off 31 balls. Starc executed an off-cutter delivery but the bounce didn’t favor Kohli as the ball grazed the edge of his bat, clipped his gloves and landed directly into the hands of Steve Smith who was positioned at second slip.
Smith displayed impeccable timing in his jump and skillfully caught the ball, leading to Kohli’s departure from the crease. Consequently, India found themselves in a dire situation at 71/4 after 18.2 overs.
Prior to Kohli’s dismissal, Australian captain Pat Cummins had already given his side a perfect start by dismissing Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
The Australian bowlers capitalized on the momentum gained from Rohit’s dismissal, with Scott Boland striking in the subsequent over to send Shubman Gill back to the pavilion. Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s Test specialist who had recently enjoyed a remarkable County stint in England, failed to meet expectations and lost his wicket in a similar fashion to Gill.
Chokli fans who were celebrating Rohit Sharma wicket after watching Virat Kohli made 1 run less than Rohit #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/pggCI0cqju
— Ctrl C Ctrl Memes (@Ctrlmemes_) June 8, 2023
This is so true 😆 💯 drama #TereBin fans 🫡. No ending
PS: Alhamdillalah didn’t watch a single episode of this 🥴🥱 pic.twitter.com/B4iXIop0d1
— Amna 🇵🇰🇵🇸 (@iAmnaA56) June 8, 2023
Lagta hai is baar bhi Virat Kohli ka Rauf wala Six dekhe hi maan behelena padega.#WTCFinal2023
— Himanshu (@unwittycomiic) June 8, 2023
Virat Kohli to make a guest appearance in the next Nintendo Direct? pic.twitter.com/3hQmE3OMGb
— ▲EzloTheCap▲ (@EzloTheCap) June 8, 2023
GOAT Virat Kohli:-
On Indian On tough
Flat tracks batting tracks pic.twitter.com/wjwRS9CHnG— Hassan Afridi (@afridi_hu_yawr) June 8, 2023
Situation in India right now after Virat Kohli dismissal
This too shall pass, stay strong neighbours 😭 pic.twitter.com/tG49KO6r2g
— 𝗭𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗔🏏🇵🇰 (@BabarFanGirl56) June 8, 2023
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In the seven innings that Kohli has played at The Oval so far, he has amassed 183 runs at an average of 26.14. His highest score of 50 remains his sole half-century at this venue. Despite a decline in India’s batting performance, Ravindra Jadeja and Rahane took charge of the innings. However, the Australian bowlers continued to trouble India, causing further challenges for the team.
