Veteran Indian wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik believes Virat Kohli’s dismissal was the biggest turnaround in the game as the hosts succumbed in the series decider between India and Australia on Wednesday. Tasked to anchor the run chase in the third and final ODI against Australia, Virat failed to save Rohit Sharma’s blushes as India suffered a heartbreaking series defeat at the hands of Steve Smith and his men in the World Cup year.
Virat Kohli, who scored his first boundary in his 21st delivery, tried to forge partnerships with middle-order batters Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul at Chennai. Highlighting the lack of big partnerships in the Indian innings, Dinesh Karthik observed that Rahul played a sedate knock when Kohli was at the crease.
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During a chat on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik said, “KL Rahul and Virat Kohli stitched a partnership in which Virat Kohli started positively, but KL Rahul was sedated through it. When KL Rahul started going, he lasted just five to six balls. When Hardik Pandya came, he took on and started playing shots. The moment Virat Kohli got out, things changed drastically post that. Hardik went into a shell and wasn’t trying to play those big sweeps that he played at the outset.”
Karthik asserted that Kohli made a tactical error while facing spinner Ashton Agar. Kohli’s 54 off 72 balls only lifted Team India to 248 in 49.1 overs.
Dinesh Karthik elaborated, “He started really well and played some attractive shots. He was bogged down a little by spin through the middle but fought it through in typical Kohli style. He made a tactical error. It was Ashton Agar’s last over. Should he have delayed that shot, considering he tried it in the previous over and it almost carried? He’d be very disappointed thinking that there was a chance for him to take the team through and he didn’t.”
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KL Rahul played a patient knock of 32 off 50 balls while Pandya perished for 40 off 40 balls. Australian spinner Adam Zampa got the better of the two premier batters as the leggie scalped four wickets for the visitors. Teaming up with Agar, spinner Zampa triggered the batting collapse of the hosts in the Chennai ODI. With the impressive 21-run win over India, visitors Australia sealed the series 2-1 at Chennai.
