Virat Kohli’s return in Indian colours did not go as planned with the batter failing to open his account in the 1st ODI at Perth against Australia on Sunday. This was also his first-ever duck in ODIs on Australian soil. With the next match scheduled at Adelaide, former India bowler Varun Aaron said that it’ll be a different story there for Kohli who has fond moments playing in the ground. This was the same ground where Kohli had slammed two centuries against the hosts in 2014.
“Virat Kohli has very fond memories of Adelaide. If there’s any ground he’d want to go to after scoring his first duck against Australia, it would be Adelaide, where he began his incredible run during the 2014 Test series,” Aaron said on JioHotstar.
“I believe the Adelaide surface will suit the Indians much more than what we saw today. It won’t have as much bounce, will be more even-paced, and there should be less lateral movement. The key for India is not to press the panic button too early. It’s only their first match outside the subcontinent in a long time, so some adjustment is natural. If they lose the second game, there might be concern, but for now, it’s just one of those days. Somebody has to win, somebody has to lose, and today, Australia were simply the better team,” he added.
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar reflected on Kohli’s dismissal at Perth, saying Mitchell Starc was one step ahead of the maestro on Sunday, impeccably following a plan set for the former India captain.
“The discussion will always be around playing square of the wicket in Australia. With the extra pace, bounce, and lateral movement on offer, you want to let the ball come to you, play it late and behind the body. That’s slightly different from what Virat has traditionally done here. He’s someone who likes to take charge, walk towards the bowlers, and play in straighter areas. Today was a different challenge. Mitchell Starc seemed one step ahead; he didn’t go for the full and fast deliveries we’re used to seeing, but instead, hit the pitch hard and went across the batter. Yes, there were definite plans against Virat,” he said.
“In white-ball cricket, unlike the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where there was more grass and movement, this was about variation in pace and angles. I’m sure Virat will go back, study his videos, and look at adjustments, maybe playing deeper in the crease or later towards third man could be better options. We saw him work on that during the BGT, and I’m confident he’ll reflect, adapt, and come back with better plans to deliver the runs we all expect from him,” he added.
In the match, Rohit Sharma and Kohli’s comebacks failed to spark things in India’s favour with both stalwarts getting dismissed on single digits. The match was cut down to 26-over a side due to rain with India posting 136 runs. According to the DLS rule, Australia had to chase 131, which they did with over 5 overs to spare, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
