NEWS
Follow UsVirat Kohli made a schoolboy error in the final minutes of day two of the fourth Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which resulted in in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal getting run out a couple of overs before the day’s play.
India were 153/2 in response to Australia’s first-innings total of 474. The surface wasn’t doing much and Jaiswal and Kohli had already put on 102 runs for the third wicket, with the former batting on 82 off 117 deliveries.
The left-handed opener was batting like a dream and had already smashed 11 fours and a maximum. It looked like India would end day two on a good note but all hell broke loose on the final delivery of the 41st over.
It was a gentle half-volley from Scott Boland and Jaiswal punched it towards mid-on and straightaway took off for a single. It was always going to be his call. Kohli heard the call loud and clear but instead of responding to Jaiswal’s call, the senior batter made the mistake of ball-watching.
He then took a couple of steps and decided to turn back. However, Jaiswal was standing right beside him by then, and Pat Cummins, at mid-on, took his time and sent the throw toward the striker’s end. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey came forward to collect the ball and removed the bails. Jaiswal didn’t even bother to return back.
Jaiswal was clearly not happy with Kohli’s decision and signalled him it was his call. The partnership was broken and that gave Australia an opening. The onus was now on Kohli to bat long but all he did in Boland’s next over was edge one to the wicketkeeper. Nothing special, just one of those Kohli’s dismissals we've been accustomed to seeing in the last five years.
Nightwatchman Akash Deep couldn’t survive for too long either and from 153/2, India collapsed to 164/5 by the end of day two. That’s three wickets for just 11 runs.
