Follow UsIndia’s star batter Virat Kohli edging a good-length delivery outside off stump is hardly a new tale. It’s been his Achilles’ heel for years, and the script repeated itself in his comeback match - the first ODI against Australia in Perth.
Playing his first international game since March, Kohli looked visibly out of rhythm. During a short and scratchy stay at the crease, he faced eight deliveries without scoring before falling for a duck - edging an ambitious drive off Mitchell Starc to backward point. It was his first ODI duck in 30 innings on Australian soil and his second slowest ODI duck overall.
This mode of dismissal has haunted Kohli time and again, especially in red-ball cricket, and occasionally in ODIs when there’s something on offer for the seamers. Opposition quicks often target that channel just outside off, and more often than not, it ends with Kohli nicking one behind.
Australian all-rounder Matthew Short admitted that Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will continue to attack Kohli in that exact zone throughout the series. "I'm not in the fast-bowling meetings, but that seems to be the way he has been getting out recently," said Short, as reported by The Times of India.
"Some of the guys like 'Hoff' (Josh Hazlewood) and 'Starcy' (Mitchell Starc), they have bowled a lot against him, they know what they're doing. In Perth they sort of let the conditions do all the work, a bit of swing and nip on the wicket, so I'm sure they'll do the same again."
With this possibly being Kohli’s final tour of Australia, Short is eager to make the most of the experience, both as an opponent and a fan. "But it's going to be a cool way for him to go out, especially with so many fans here in Australia," Short said.
"It's pretty cool to share the field with such a legend of the sport. I'll definitely get the chance to have a chat to him at some stage throughout the series."
Meanwhile, Short has his own battles to fight. Averaging just 20.57 after 16 ODIs and hampered by injuries since his debut in September 2023, the 29-year-old is determined to cement his place in the side with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind.
"It's been frustrating…I still feel like I'm moving well. I'm feeling good out in the middle. Just haven't got the runs on the board. But hopefully they come soon. It's been a frustrating year in terms of getting that continuous cricket.
"It's always going to be tough to get a spot in the XI and I'll sort of take whatever that is, whether it's opening, batting at three or wherever. It's just [about] staying flexible and trying to bat wherever you're put and be able to take that.
"Especially the last few years, I'm so used to opening the batting and batting in that top order, but batting at three is not too dissimilar. But if it was to come through the middle, you'd probably need to prep a bit for that but it's something I've done before in the past. If that came to happen, I'd definitely take it."