Virat’s planning and Siraj’s execution were precise as India got their biggest wicket.
Virat Kohli was the mastermind behind Travis Head’s early departure in the second innings on the final day of the Brisbane Test. Before Mohammed Siraj’s over, the bowler wanted to bowl from over the wicket to Head, to which Rohit Sharma was slightly hesitant since it would have allowed Head to open his legs and target the on-side region.
However, Virat insisted on allowing Siraj to continue from over the wicket and used the scrambled seam, which would take the ball away from the batter. He asked Rohit to put a fielder on the square-leg region because if Siraj tried an inswinger, he would have a man to stop the boundary.
“Over (over the wicket) se agar ye scramble wala daalega middle stump se to out hone ka chance hai, sahi keh raha hai vo. Square leg peeche de de in-swing ke liye aur stump par daalne de (If he bowls scrambled seam delivery from the middle-stump line, Head can get out, Siraj is doing the right thing. Give him a square leg behind for inswinger and let him target the stumps),” exclaimed Kohli.
As it turned out, the planning worked brilliantly as Siraj angled one across the batter who went for a big swipe but could only get a top edge, and the wicketkeeper completed an easy catch. Virat’s planning and Siraj’s execution were precise as India got their biggest wicket.
During the final day of the Brisbane Test, Travis Head suffered a groin injury and was seen limping on the field while being on the crease. While he said he would be fine before the next Test, Australia will have their fingers crossed and want him to recover in time.
Head has been in sensational form this series and is the leading run-scorer, with 409 runs at an average of 81.80 in five innings. He also has two centuries and has done ample damage throughout this Test series.
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Australia are already struggling with key batters’ form and can’t afford to lose their in-form batter before a crucial game. Hence, they want him to recover and play in the next game.
Meanwhile, India hope to take a cue from Head’s dismissal today and persist with the same plan in the remaining fixtures. They can’t afford to let him score big runs again in the series.
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