India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on Virat Kohli’s early dismissal in the second ODI against Australia, noting that while Xavier Bartlett’s delivery was exceptional, the star batter’s mistake lay in missing the line of the ball—a sign that he still needs time to regain rhythm after a long break from international cricket.

Kohli, making his return after four months, was forced to the crease early after captain Shubman Gill fell to Bartlett in the seventh over. The Australian pacer tested Kohli’s off-stump patience with a series of outswingers before cleverly bringing one back in. The delivery nipped sharply, striking Kohli on the pads and trapping him LBW for a duck, confirming a dream start for Bartlett and early pressure for India.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin analyzed the dismissal in detail: “Bartlett bowled two outswingers and then straightened the line to trap Kohli LBW. It was a perfectly executed plan,” Ashwin said. He compared the pattern to Rohit Sharma’s familiar mode of dismissal against world-class pacers like Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins.

Ravichandran Ashwin added, “During the innings break, Abhishek Nayar mentioned it was a great ball—and I agree. But the worrying part is that Virat actually missed the line. He planted his front foot right in line with the ball, which tells me he’s still searching for that fluent rhythm we associate with him.”

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Despite the rare back-to-back ducks, Ravichandran Ashwin backed Kohli to rediscover his touch soon. “He’s too experienced not to adjust. Once he spends some time in the middle, the vintage Virat will be back,” Ashwin predicted confidently.

India will now look toward the third ODI in Sydney on October 25, where all eyes will be on Kohli as he seeks redemption and rhythm in familiar conditions.