[Watch] Virat Kohli goes for a duck after softest of dismissals in 2nd India vs South Africa ODI
In one of the softest dismissals of his recent career, Virat Kohli got out for a 5-ball duck against South Africa on Friday by mistiming a simple lofted drive to cover.
Left-arm off-spinner Keshav Maharaj, bowling the 13th over of the first innings of the match, troubled Kohli with turn and bounce on the second ball and followed it up with a slider on the third. The fourth ball was tossed up on the off-stump and the batter pounced on it for the drive early. He went aerial and got one hand off the bat, getting no power in the shot and handing a dolly to Temba Bavuma at cover.
Here are a couple of videos of the dismissal:
Virat Kohli departs for a duck. Shocker😶😶😶
#SAvIND #INDvSA https://t.co/0GOc9M7LQr
This was Kohli's 14th duck in ODIs and second against South Africa, extending his century drought that has lasted over two years. He batted well in the first ODI, scoring a 63-ball 51 in the run chase but couldn't convert it into a ton. The star batsman was dismissed against the run of play in that game as well, fluffing a sweep against spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant look to rebuild after Kohli's howler
Kohli’s form still enveloped by gloom. Loose cover drive ends as simple catch to Bavuma, gets him a blob against his name and puts India in the doldrums after a sparkling start.
The former captain's wicket left India at 64-2 in Paarl, undoing a fine start from openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan got out slog-sweeping an easy catch to deep mid-wicket against part-timer Aiden Markram in the 12th over.
The two wickets have brought skipper Rahul together with Rishabh Pant at the crease. The latter will be important for India's attack against Maharaj and Shamsi. Rahul has looked good, although more circumspect than usual.
Apart from some turn and bounce, there aren't any demons on the wicket and India will look at a target of 275+ to feel comfortable in the defense. It will once again be a test of the middle-order, whose failure was one of the major reasons for their defeat in the first match.