Kohli also repeated the pose and reverently bowed down by joining his hands as the religious song 'Ram Siya Ram' played upon Maharaj's entry.
India made a remarkable start on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town. Captain Dean Elgar, after winning the toss, chose to bat but the home team found themselves in a dire situation. The morning session showcased a stellar performance by India seamer Mohammed Siraj, who achieved his career-best figures.
Amid the intense cricket action, a light-hearted moment occurred when star India batter Virat Kohli greeted spinner Keshav Maharaj in a distinctive manner. Maharaj came to bat following the dismissal of the sixth wicket, with Marco Jansen heading back to the pavilion and South Africa having only 34 runs on the scoreboard.
Observing the tradition, the religious song ‘Ram Siya Ram’ played upon Maharaj’s entry. Kohli, stationed in the slips, engaged in the iconic Lord Rama ‘bow and arrow’ pose as a welcoming gesture. Smilingly, he repeated the pose and reverently bowed down by joining his hands.
Returning to the match, South African openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar cautiously started, accumulating five runs in the initial three overs. Siraj claimed the first wicket by making Markram edge one to Yashasvi Jaiswal at third slip. In the subsequent over, Siraj dismissed Elgar by causing him to chop one onto his stumps. Simultaneously, Jasprit Bumrah joined the action, dismissing debutant Tristan Stubbs caught at short leg. Siraj continued his dominance, securing the dismissals of Tony de Zorzi (2), David Bedingham (12), Kyle Verreynne (15), and Marco Jansen (0) to achieve his best bowling figures of 6/15.
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Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) and Mukesh Kumar (2/0) contributed by taking two wickets each, ultimately bundling out the Proteas for a mere 55 runs.
Virat Kohli doing Lord Rama’s “Dhanush” pose when Keshav Maharaj coming to bat and Ram Siya Ram playing in the background. What a beautiful moment! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/chFIc631eC
— अक्षित 🚩 (@akshit_aman) January 3, 2024
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