[Watch] Low-keeping ball gets Virat Kohli out again in 2nd IND vs SL 2022 Test
Virat Kohli's 101st Test came to a disappointing end as he got out to a low-keeping ball for the second time in India's second Test against Sri Lanka. The former captain could only score 13 (16) to follow a similar 23 (48) in the first innings.
The pitch at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Kohli has spent a lion's share of his cricketing career, was once again the villain. On the fourth ball of the 36th over, left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama held back his length and invited Kohli to pull the straight delivery.
The right-hander accepted the offer, but the ball didn't bounce much and he missed his slash as the ball hit the pads dead in front.
The umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger. The batter had a dejected, surprised reaction in the first innings. But this time, Virat Kohli could only offer a rueful smile as Rishabh Pant on the other end persuaded him against taking a review.
Here's a video of the same:
Chinnaswamy Pitch has been so respectful to Kohli that ball wanted to touch his feet in both innings. #INDvSL
As Pant said earlier in the day, the pitch has enough in it for bowlers to just stick to a disciplined line and length and get wickets. Batters, on their part, can try and be as proactive as possible with their attacking shots and not let the bowler settle.
The former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain tried doing the same and hit a cracking boundary, stepping down the pitch and lofting the ball over Dhananjaya de Silva's head, but couldn't carry on.
It was also smart on Jayawickrama's part to give the ball the best chance to misbehave.
Virat Kohli's average falls below 50
FIFTY!
@RishabhPant17 surpasses Kapil Dev to score the fastest 50 by an Indian in Test cricket. It has come off 28 deliveries.
Take a bow, Rishabh 👏💪💥
Live - bit.ly/INDvSL-2NDTEST #INDvSL @Paytm https://t.co/YcpJf2sp2H
Virat Kohli ended the series with 81 runs from three innings. His lowly average of 27 has pushed his career aggregate to 49.96.
It has gone below 50 for the first time in 40 Tests and since India's Kolkata Test against Sri Lanka in November 2017.
After the 33-year-old's dismissal, Pant and Shreyas Iyer are carrying the charge with their calculated aggression. India's lead is already well past 300 and the pair will eye the 400 mark.
You can catch the live proceedings here.