When such legends are batting, them getting out for zero becomes a talking point. The bowling team takes an immense pride in prizing out these greats with no score at all. The most prominent example is, of course, Don Bradman’s duck in his final Test innings.
Virat Kohli is no exception. In the fifth and final Test at the Oval, India had to bat out 108 overs to save the Test. Coming out to bat at number four with the score reading 1/2, Virat edged an outside off-stump delivery from Stuart Broad to get caught behind. Indian fans could scarcely believe that Kohli can get out for zero as well.
Looking back, here five most talked about ducks of Virat Kohli.
#1. 0(3) against Australia, Bengaluru, 2 November 2013
The seventh ODI of India and Australia played in Bengaluru is famous for a different reason than Virat Kohli’s duck. As many of you would’ve guessed, Rohit Sharma struck a belligerent 209 in this match and sealed the series 3-2 in India’s favour.
Virat came out to bat at number three after Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed with the score being 112/1 in 19 overs. The Delhi batsman defended first two balls and nudged the third ball towards mid-on. Kohli called for a single to which Rohit first replied in affirmative and then denied. The striker was until then a long way down and was run out on zero.
Rohit later compensated for his mistake of running Kohli out and smashed a mammoth double-century that took India to 383/6. Kohli’s 0(3) remains the last time that he was run out on zero in international cricket.
#2. 0(2) against Gujarat Lions, Bengaluru, 24 May 2016
In IPL 2016, Virat Kohli was batting at the peak of his powers. His scores in the league matches read 75, 79, 33, 80, 100*, 14, 52, 108*, 20, 7, 109, 75*, 113, 54* - a total of 919 runs in 14 matches at an average of 91.9. The performance propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Qualifier one staged at the home ground.
In the Qualifier, RCB faced Gujarat Lions. In the league stage, Virat had struck 100 not out from 63 balls and 109 from 55 balls against the same team. In this match, Lions scored 158 runs while batting first. Kohli opened alongside Chris Gayle to begin the chase.
After taking 11 runs from the first over, Gayle handed the strike to his partner Virat Kohli in the second over. Dhawal Kulkarni bowled the delivery which was short and wide, Kohli slashed it, only to discover it coming back to disturb his woodwork.
The duck after 51 T20 innings for Virat sent shockwaves throughout the cricket world. His knock of 54 in the final proved that the duck was the rarest occurrence.
#3. 0(2) against Australia, Pune, 23 February 2017
Virat Kohli as the Indian captain was having a dream run. The team was enjoying its successful home season, and Virat was scoring at a rate of knots. The fresh assignment was that of Australia who would play four Test matches in India.
The first Test began at Pune where Australia chose to bat first. India’s first inning in reply of Australia’s 260 began with caution. Mitchell Starc dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara in the 14th over which brought Kohli to the crease.
After leaving the first ball, Kohli went after a full and wide delivery that eventually ended in the hands of Peter Handscomb standing at the first slip. India was soon all out for only 105 runs in their first innings and later conceded a 333-run defeat. It remains the only Test defeat as captain for Virat Kohli at home.
#4. 0(2) against Ireland, Dublin, 27 June 2018
India was facing a colossal tour of England ahead. Captain Virat Kohli was suffering from a back injury that kept him away from the Test against Afghanistan and also cancelled his English county stint with Surrey.
He returned to play against Ireland. India led by Virat was inserted to bat first by Ireland in the first T20I match of the series. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan gave India an explosive start. When Virat came out to bat, the score was 202/4 with last over of the inning in progress. Kohli fended out the hat-trick ball from Peter Chase.
Next up, playing as per the situation, the Indian captain went for a mighty slog but it ended in the hands of Stuart Thompson. This was only his second duck in international cricket that came against a low-ranked nation after his first dismissal for zero versus Zimbabwe in 2010.
#5. 0(1) against England, The Oval, 7 September 2018
593 runs in nine innings with two centuries and three fifties was Virat’s response to the challenge of burying the ghosts of the past. He was all over the place in his previous trip to England in 2014 and this time a determined Virat Kohli fought off all the troubles to prove himself an outstanding success.
In the fifth and last Test at the Oval, Kohli was dismissed for 49 in his first innings before he looked all set for a big knock. India’s second innings began in the last session of day four where Kohli had to walk out with India in a desperate situation.
England’s swing wizard James Anderson dismissed both Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara in his second over. Virat facing the second ball of the next over from Stuart Broad chased a delivery which he would have left otherwise and edged it straight to the wicketkeeper to get out for a golden duck. It was a tremendous shock as the team crumbled to 2/3. India recovered later but Virat’s duck was a big talking point.
0 votes
