A few months ago, the Australian pacer, Pat Cummins said, “Virat Kohli won’t score a century in Australia.” Well, he has walked the talk in the very first innings of the series opener in Adelaide. Cummins bowled only three deliveries to Kohli and induced him in poking at a wide ball and then Usman Khawaja pulled off a stunning catch at gully to get rid of a special batsman.
Similar to the earlier overseas tours to South Africa and England, the Indian batsmen crumbled again as they were down to 41/4 before the lunch of Day 1 of the first Test of the four-match series in Adelaide. Australia got what they wanted and they had a set plan for almost all the Indian batsmen. Mitchell Starc kept them on their toes at the start by bowling the bouncers and so did Josh Hazlewood. Rather Starc got an extra over when the Indian skipper Virat Kohli came out to bat as India was 15-2.
Pat Cummins, who had got Virat Kohli out off the very first ball that he bowled to him back in India last year, came into the attack in the 11th over. The first ball was on a good length and the batsman came with an unconvincing defensive shot as Kohli was still gauging the pace of the pitch. The next was the fuller length ball as he got forward nicely to drive it to mid-off.
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However, the next ball was the ‘brain fade’ from Virat Kohli. He literally went after an extremely wide delivery as he thought of caressing the drive through the covers. But he only managed to edge it and the ball rocketed past the gully where Khawaja was stationed. He didn’t let the chance go and grabbed the stunner with his left-hand and a dive in the air.
Here is the video of the dismissal:
Incredible from @Uz_Khawaja! #AUSvIND | @bet365_aus pic.twitter.com/eLgBLnQssM
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2018
It was such an instinctive reaction from the southpaw and the catch could probably win them his Test match. Australia was sharp on the field from the word go which has earned the most prized scalp so early. But the hosts have clung on to convert a half-chance and they are straight-away bossing the game now. India are already four down in the first session and the hosts will be sensing an early finish to the first innings now.
