The Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided to come out to bowl after the visiting bowlers failed to break Cricket Australia XI’s seventh-wicket stand on the third day of their only warm-up match in Sydney as it lasted for more than 100 runs. Kohli, who bowls medium pace, introduced himself into the attack during the 87th over of the Cricket Australia XI innings even as Harry Nielsen and Aaron Hardie were making the Indians work hard on the field.
Nielsen and Hardie remained unbeaten with a half-century each at Stumps on Day 3 of the four-day match and stitched a 122-run stand. The hosts ended the day on 356 for 6, two runs behind India’s first innings total of 358 all-out.
Kohli created a chance in his very first ball as left-handed Nielsen played an aerial flick off his pads that fell just short of Jasprit Bumrah, who was standing at silly mid-on. Virat also failed to break the partnership and finished with a two-over spell wherein he conceded six runs.
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The skipper, who hardly bowls these days, had revealed in 2016 that his teammates would start laughing at him whenever he comes on to bowl due to his awkward bowling action. Kohli tends to land on the wrong foot and bowls military medium pace but has eight international scalps against his name. Here the video of Kohli’s bowling:
https://twitter.com/See_are_7/status/1068403773326807040
Talking about the same, Kohli said, “Everyone laughs when I come on to bowl; does not matter how serious the situation is. When they see me hold the ball, everyone turns away. They are all smiling and laughing. Even I feel my bowling action is funny, but I think I get the job done which is most important. If people have some sort of fun watching me bowl, I don’t mind.”
Meanwhile, Mohammad Shami was the pick of the bowlers as he scalped three wickets, including that of opener D’Arcy Short who made a 91-ball 74. Other bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, had an ordinary day on the field as Cricket Australia XI piled up the runs.
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The match began on Day 2 after rain washed away the opening day’s play at the SCG. Despite losing the toss, India went on to post a decent total on the board, thanks to half-centuries from five batsmen, including skipper Kohli.
However, the visitors faced a huge blow on Friday as the young prodigy Prithvi Shaw suffered an ankle injury while fielding along the boundary ropes. He has now been ruled out of the first Test and was spotted walking with crutches at the SCG.
