Watch: Virat Kohli goes to debutant off-spinner first ball after lunch break in Nagpur
Virat Kohli's spin struggles continued with a poor-looking dismissal in the first innings of the Nagpur Test for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The great India batter was out to spin again after an unsettled knock in the middle off the very first ball after lunch on Day 2.
Facing steady debutant off-spinner Todd Murphy for a delivery down the leg side, Kohli closed the face of the bat too early and nicked the ball to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who was more than happy to collect the rebound after an initial mishap.
Virat Kohli couldn't believe his fortunes and wore a smirk on his face of dismay and disappointment but the right-hander was perhaps equally guilty of not budgeting for the low bounce available for the tweakers to exploit in Jamtha.
Following the line of the ball, the 34-year-old shaped up to play a flick through the square leg but got a faint edge which Carey initially gobbled up but resurrected on time to take the rebound and secure an important dismissal for his team.
Virat Kohli's spin struggles continue
The dismissal arrived of the first ball after lunch on Day 2 with India placed 151/3, still 26 behind Australia on a tricky surface in Nagpur, keeping low and offering inconsistent turn to the spinners. Murphy, who had maintained a tight line from around-the-wicket throughout the innings and taken two wickets already on his first Test outing, delivered a rare hit-me ball.
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But the bowler found some luck as the delivery somehow caught Virat Kohli closing the bat-face a tad too early and edging the ball into Carey's gloves on the second attempt. The Aussie glover initially failed to grasp the catch but adjusted right on time to ensure a wicket for the team.
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The rebound catch meant that Kohli's spin struggles continued in Test match cricket as he now averages below 25 versus all tweakers since the start of 2020. Kohli's overall average for this phase, where he hasn't scored a Test match century, stands shy of 26 as well.