Virat Kohli survives first catch in fifth Test against Australia

In a dramatic moment during the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Virat Kohli narrowly avoided a golden duck. The incident unfolded in the morning session on January 3, when Scott Boland bowled a magnificent ball past Kohli’s bat.

The ball slid towards first slip, where Steve Smith lunged to his right in an attempt to catch it. However, the ball touched the ground before Smith could secure it. After several replays, third umpire Joel Wilson declared Kohli not out, allowing the Indian batsman to continue his innings.

Kohli’s form under scrutiny

The fall gave Kohli a lifeline but his recent performances have been inconsistent. Despite scoring a century in the first Test in Perth, his other outings in the series have been disappointing. Scores of 5, 7, 11, 3, 36, and 5 highlight your difficulties with coherence.

Kohli came in to bat after Scott Boland dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal in his opening. Jaiswal, who had performed outstandingly in the Boxing Day Test, managed just 10 runs before being caught in the slips by Australian debutant Beau Webster.

Webster, making his debut in place of Mitchell Marsh, immediately made an impact. Marsh had failed in the previous game, scoring a four-ball duck in the second innings. Webster’s good fielding has already proven valuable to the Australians in this high-stakes match.

Meanwhile, Scott Boland’s fiery spell kept the Indian top order under pressure. His delivery to Kohli was a testament to his growing stature in international cricket.

KL Rahul’s struggles continue

Indian opener KL Rahul’s problems with the bat persisted. He managed just four runs before falling to a simple catch by Sam Konstas in the fifth over. Rahul, who faced just 14 balls, gave the Australians momentum from the start.

India’s decision to bat first, taken by stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, appeared to backfire initially. Losing two quick wickets put the team on the defensive in a must-win match.

Bumrah leads in Rohit’s absence

As Rohit Sharma opted to rest for this match, Jasprit Bumrah stepped in as captain. During the toss, Bumrah emphasized the unity of the team.

“Our captain (Rohit Sharma) has shown leadership. He has chosen to rest in this match. That shows that there is a lot of unity in our team. There is no selfishness. Whatever is best for the team, we are looking to do it,” Bumrah said.

India made two changes for this Test. Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma in the XI, while Prasidh Krishna replaced the injured Akash Deep.

This Test has immense importance for India’s World Test Championship ambitions. A win would keep their hopes alive, but a loss or a draw would eliminate them from contention.

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