[Watch] Virat Kohli gets out playing a loose drive again in 1st India vs South Africa Test
For the second time in the ongoing Centurion Test against South Africa, and for the umpteenth time in recent memory, Indian Test captain Virat Kohli lost his wicket by rashly driving way outside his off-stump on Wednesday.
Much like in the first innings, he looked solid for the 31 balls he faced before getting out. Kohli was beaten a few times, but it all looked quite circumspect and under control.
On the first ball after Lunch, though, left-arm pacer Marco Jansen offered him a full and wide delivery that was only going away with the angle. Kohli went for a beaming cover drive, had no control over it and gave away the edge. He had to walk back for an underwhelming 18 (32). Here's a video of the wicket:
Marco Jansen bringing the magic on debut🤩
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It was perhaps Kohli's way of forcing the scoring rate as with rain looming on Day 4, India need to declare soon. But that doesn't take away from the fact that he has been getting out the same way - by trying to hit the balls he should simply leave.
Rahane, Pujara join Kohli in the dressing room
Marco Jansen has another one ☝️
The short delivery does the trick as Ajinkya Rahane departs for 20.
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Kohli left India on 79-4, with a lead of 209 runs. His former deputy, Ajinkya Rahane, joined Cheteshwar Pujara at the crease and continued what Kohli was trying to do.
He hit a four in the first complete over he faced and followed it up with two boundaries and a six against Jansen, thrashing short-balls all around the park. But the young pacer came back strong in his next over and forced Rahane to mistime a hook to backward square leg.
Earlier, Pujara also didn't shy away from hitting loose deliveries with conviction, with Jansen again conceding two boundaries at the hands of India's no.3. But he lost his wicket in uncharacteristic and also unlucky fashion - a thin edge on an attempted flick against a down-the-leg wide that was taken easily by the wicketkeeper.
India will feel comfortable on a lead of anything above 280 but for that to happen, Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin will have to find the right balance between attack and defense.