Virat Kohli left fans in disbelief with his unexpected dismissal on the second day of the second Test between India and New Zealand in Pune. Despite putting in extra batting practice after the first day’s play, Kohli managed to face only nine balls and scored just one run. India started the day at 16/1, and after Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal advanced the score to 50, Kohli walked in to loud cheers following Gill’s wicket. However, he surprised everyone by playing an uncharacteristic shot, missing a low full toss from Mitchell Santner, and was bowled, leaving the stumps shattered.
Kohli has been dismissed in unusual ways before. He was out on a waist-high full toss during the IPL and recently didn’t review an obvious edge against Bangladesh. But this dismissal might be the most baffling yet. Cricket commentator Sanjay Manjrekar called it the worst shot of Kohli’s career. This was his 21st dismissal to spin in Asia since 2021, with a strike rate of just 28.85.
“Oh dear! Virat will know himself that he has just played the worst shot of his career to get out. Got to feel for him because, as always, he came out with solid and honest intent,” Manjrekar posted on X (formerly Twitter).
India in Deep Trouble
India’s situation worsened as they collapsed to 103/7. With Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner bowling in tandem, India lost six wickets for just 53 runs. Some dismissals were due to poor shot selection by players like Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, and Rishabh Pant, while others were the result of excellent bowling. Shubman Gill was trapped lbw, and Yashasvi Jaiswal was caught behind, both scoring 30 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin fell to a ball that stayed low, giving Santner his fourth wicket and career-best figures of 4/34.
This marks India’s second batting collapse in two Tests, raising the possibility of New Zealand achieving a historic series win. New Zealand already leads 1-0 after an eight-wicket victory in Bengaluru. With a spot in the World Test Championship final up for grabs, India finds itself in dangerous territory. Losing six wickets for 91 runs in 27 overs, the team is in total disarray, while New Zealand is riding high.
