Australia vs India, 2018-19: Virat Kohli's innings on day 2 is a masterclass on Test batting
When Australia had ended its first innings at 326, the experts were quite unanimous that they had scored more than enough on a pitch where the Aussie bowlers would make merry and wreak havoc with the Indian batting line up.
And when both Indian openers perished cheaply, a sub-par first innings score was very much on the cards. But, when the play ended on the second day, India had moved on to a very respectable 172 for three wickets. They are still 154 runs behind Australia and the new ball is just eleven overs away.
The Australians could still eke out a lead, but the way match stands now, it’s very much in the balance. Much of the credit goes to Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Pujara may have scored only 24 runs, but he blunted the Aussie bowlers for 103 balls and calmed Indian nerves.
Vice-captain Rahane has played a similar number of balls and scored an unbeaten knock of 51 runs. He has looked very solid so far and is expected to carry on tomorrow.
But the most outstanding innings of the day undoubtedly came from India’s captain. He had to come to the crease early thanks to yet another twin failure from India’s openers. He came with a positive mindset and played some attacking shots in the initial period.
But he soon settled down and played very much in the Pujara mould. He took no risks and did not bother when the run-scoring came to a screeching halt. He was especially cautious against his bete noire, Pat Cummins. There were few plays and misses, but mostly he defended solidly and left very very well.
Kohli’s footwork and technique against spin and balls outside the off stump were exemplary. For a naturally aggressive batsman, he showed other players that one must adapt to conditions and match situations. For those who say that one must play one’s natural game in every condition, this innings from Kohli is a lesson in the necessity to curb one’s ‘natural instincts’ to play according to the need of the team.
Kohli had done it successfully in the second innings at Adelaide and he is doing it again. He will, of course, need to continue in the same vein on the third day. But on the evidence of what one saw today from him, expect more of the same tomorrow. This is already a masterpiece and has the potential to be an innings for the ages.