3 times Mitchell Starc dismissed Virat Kohli cheaply in Tests ft. BGT 2024-25
Team India batter Virat Kohli put in an underwhelming shift in the ongoing pink ball Test against Australia in Adelaide. The expectations were sky-high after he scored a century in the series opener in Perth, calming the talks surrounding his concerning red-ball form of late.
Kohli's battles with premium bowlers of this generation are well documented, take James Anderson for instance. Another bowler that falls into the same category is the lethal Mitchell Starc. The left-arm pacer has always been a threat from India's perspective, but with a pink ball in hand, he turns even more deadly.
Kohli and Starc have engaged in some memorable contests over the years across formats. As far as Test cricket is concerned, the ace batter has scored 255 runs at a strike rate of 60.14, and an average of 51. In reply, prior to the ongoing clash, Starc has dismissed him five times in 21 outings.
On that note, let us take a look at three instances where Mitchell Starc dismissed Virat Kohli cheaply in Tests.
#1 14 runs off 31 deliveries (2023 WTC Final; The Oval)
The match-up between Kohli and Starc was one of the pivotal talking points ahead of the all-important World Test Championship (WTC) final. After Australia recovered in their first innings to post 469 runs, the onus was on the Indian batting unit and Kohli to try to get at least close to that score.
Kohli had a huge role to play after India were reduced to 50-3 in reply. The former skipper got to a nervy 14 before his stint was ended by Starc. He was undone by a delivery from the left-arm pacer that rose from a length. The extra bounce took him by surprise as he edged it to second slip, where Steve Smith took a jumping catch.
#2 0 runs off 2 deliveries (1st Test 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy; MCA Stadium, Pune)
After a forgettable maiden tour of India in 2013, where his highlight was a 99-run knock rather than anything with the ball, Starc returned to India as a completely different and matured bowler in 2017.
Australia had to deal with a rank turner in the series opener in Pune, and Starc accounted for two of the three wickets to be taken by a pacer in the Test. One of those scalps included that of Virat Kohli for a two-ball duck. Kohli went for an expansive cover drive off a full expansive cover drive, which flew to Peter Handscomb at first slip.
#3 7 runs off 8 deliveries (2nd Test 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy; Adelaide Oval)
Starc had the upper hand against Kohli with the pink ball in the ongoing second Test at the Adelaide Oval. The ace batter had a dominant record at the Adelaide Oval, and against the pink ball too, to an extent. However, Starc made sure that he did not stick around for long.
Starc pitched the delivery on a length, with his angle ensuring that the line was marginally outside the off stump. Kohli initiated the movement to deal with the delivery towards the offside on his backfoot but had a change of mind realizing that there was not much room to operate with.
He tried to leave the delivery at the last possible moment, but the late decision meant that the ball had time to take the edge and travel to Steve Smith at second slip.