Star Indian batter and former captain Virat Kohli, who played a key knock of 70 runs in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand, was photographed leaving Bengaluru on Sunday, October 20, as he headed to Pune for the second Test. A 35-year-old cricketer was spotted at the airport, but he very much kept a low profile, all masked up with shades and caps.
A video that spread like wildfire shows Virat Kohli, greeting the airport staff warmly as he patiently waited in line before boarding his flight.
Kohli batted at No. 3 in the first innings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the first Test.
Virat Kohli left for Mumbai from Bengaluru after the match🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/qEjzWtJEnC
— 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙣🥂 (@wrognxvirat) October 20, 2024
Though he was dismissed after a duck in the first innings, he redeemed himself in the second, scoring a gritty 70, which substantially helped India reach a challenging 462 runs. But it was India whom New Zealand successfully chased down a modest target of 107 in the fourth innings to record their first win on Indian soil since 1988.
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An all-round performance by New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra was the pick of the match as he scored a century in the first innings and remained unbeaten at 39 in the second to contribute hugely in the Kiwi’s match victory. He was awarded the Man of the Match award. The Kiwi pacers also had a big say in this game as Matt Henry took five wickets in the first innings and three more in the second. William O’Rourke also made his debut with seven wickets in two innings.
Pressure mounts for India heading into the second Test at Pune from October 24 to 28. The team will be desperate to bounce back and try level the series, especially as their unbeaten home Test record against New Zealand hangs in the balance.
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Apart from that, another slip-up will cost the side dearly as it is set to face the most challenging five-match Test series against Australia. New Zealand will be hopeful of getting back their former skipper Kane Williamson, who had missed the opening Test with a groin injury, in order to see through to extend their victory. The Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium is in for another action-packed second Test.
