[Watch] Virat Kohli leaves for Pune from Mumbai ahead of the 2nd Test against New Zealand
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli was spotted at a private airport in Mumbai as he headed to Pune for the second Test against New Zealand. The match will start on Thursday, October 24, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
While most players arrived in Pune on Monday, October 21, Kohli remained in Mumbai to spend time with his family. The 35-year-old was seen attending a Krishna Das Kirtan with his wife, Anushka Sharma, on Sunday, October 20, just hours after the first Test.
Here’s a video of Virat Kohli arriving at Mumbai airport:
The Delhi-born cricketer was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the game against New Zealand. He found his rhythm in the second innings, scoring 70 off 102 balls, hitting eight boundaries and one six.
In the process, he became the fourth Indian to reach 9,000 Test runs. Kohli has accumulated 9,017 runs in 116 Tests, averaging 48.74, with 31 fifties and 29 centuries.
New Zealand defeated India by 8 wickets in the first Test in Bengaluru
The hosts experienced a rough start to the series in Bengaluru. Choosing to bat first in overcast conditions, Rohit Sharma and his team were dismissed for 46 runs in 31.2 overs, marking their third-lowest total in Test history.
In reply, Devon Conway played a strong innings, scoring 91 runs for New Zealand. Indian bowlers kept making inroads, leaving the visitors at 233 for 7. However, Rachin Ravindra (134) and Tim Southee (65) put together a crucial partnership of 137 runs for the eighth wicket, shifting the momentum decisively. New Zealand ended their first innings at 402, building a lead of 356 runs.
The hosts attempted to stage a comeback, with Rohit (52) and Virat Kohli (70) scoring fifties. Mumbai cricketer Sarfaraz Khan celebrated his maiden century, contributing 150 runs off 195 balls, while Rishabh Pant fell just short of his seventh hundred, getting out for 99.
India posted 462 runs in their second innings, setting a target of 107 runs. Will Young (48*) and Ravindra (39*) guided New Zealand to a comfortable eight-wicket victory.