In the ongoing second Test match between India and New Zealand in Pune, the Kiwis have taken a significant lead towards achieving what no team has done in the last 12 years – win an away series against India. The spotlight of the match was on India’s senior players, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who failed to deliver with Rohit scoring 0 and Kohli just 1 run.
Kohli’s dismissal was particularly disappointing as he missed a full toss from Mitchell Santner, resulting in his stumps being shattered. It was a mistimed flick shot that left Kohli in disbelief and on his haunches. Sanjay Manjrekar commented on the poor shot played by Kohli, while Harsha Bhogle mentioned that Kohli would not want to see the replay of his dismissal.
Former India head coach Anil Kumble suggested that Kohli might have benefited from playing some domestic cricket before the Test season. Kohli’s struggle against spin has been evident in this home Test season, with only one noteworthy innings of 70 in Bengaluru and low scores in other matches. The decision to play on a turning track seems to have backfired for India, and they will need to put up a strong performance in the second innings to stay alive in the series.
