Mitchell Starc once again underlined his dominance in the ongoing second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, dismantling India’s top order and claiming the prized scalp of Virat Kohli. After dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a golden duck and sending KL Rahul back to the pavilion, Starc struck again to remove the Indian batting icon, leaving India reeling under pressure in the Day-Night Test at Adelaide Oval.
The defining moment came on the first ball of the 21st over when Starc delivered a short ball outside off, targeting the fifth or sixth stump line. Kohli, who had managed just 7 runs off 8 balls, hesitated in pulling his bat away. The ball grazed the face of his bat and carried low to second slip, where Steve Smith completed the catch while down on his knees.
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Despite Smith’s initial surprise at spotting the ball late, he made no mistake in securing the dismissal. Virat Kohli, visibly frustrated, glanced at the pitch and the toe of his bat before making the long walk back to the pavilion.
Mitchell Starc sends Virat Kohli packing!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/2AzNllS7xT
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 6, 2024
A good player is a player who learns from his mistakes.
Meanwhile #ViratKohli 👇 pic.twitter.com/JTaG3gcRYa
— Aman Mishra (@mishraaman01) December 6, 2024
The dismissal mirrored a similar lapse from Kohli in the Perth Test, where he also failed to get his bat out of the way of a late-moving delivery. This recurring mistake has invited sharp criticism on social media, with some fans calling for a technical reassessment of Kohli’s approach, while others expressed disappointment over his inability to build on his unbeaten century from the first Test.
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Kohli’s wicket handed Australia a major advantage in the first session, leaving India in dire straits at Adelaide Oval. With the team under immense pressure, Indian fans now hope the batting maestro can rediscover his form and contribute significantly in the second innings to steer the team out of trouble.
Bumrah to Chokli after chok again😭
No flat pitch
No ChinnaswamyAttitude dikhaun raat bhar
Run banau jhat bhar 🤔#INDvsAUS#AUSvIND#ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/ydy0qIaiFy— cricbuzz.5k 🎯 (@goat_rohit45) December 6, 2024
Virat Kohli and 5th stump problem. Never ending love story.#ViratKohli #Starc #INDvsAUS #AUSvsIND
— Barkha Joshi (@bindasbarkha) December 6, 2024
