Virat Kohli returned to international cricket after a seven-month break with hopes of bringing his usual self back to India’s ODI lineup. However, Virat Kohli failed to live up to the hype and expectations in the first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday (October 19).
The right-handed batsman’s comeback was disappointing as he was out for a duck after just eight balls. Facing a full-length delivery from Mitchell Starc outside the off-stump, he attempted a cover drive which went wrong and the ball went to Cooper Connolly at point.
Virat Kohli’s comeback ended on a duck, surpassing Rohit for most dismissals for India
This was the first time in 30 ODI innings in Australia that Kohli was out without opening the account. Duck also added an unwanted record to his illustrious career, which is his 17th in ODI cricket. With this, Kohli left Rohit Sharma behind in the list of Indian players who have been out for the most number of ducks.
Also Read: ‘Shreyas Iyer dances on the pitch against short balls’: India batsmen brutally trolled after failure in 1st ODI vs Australia
Sachin Tendulkar still tops the list of Indian players with most wickets in ODIs with 20 wickets, followed by Javagal Srinath with 19 wickets and Yuvraj Singh and Anil Kumble with 18 wickets each. This was Kohli’s 39th duck in 551 international matches for India.
With this, he became the third Indian player to be out on zero the most number of times in international cricket. Among Indian batsmen, only former Indian fast bowlers Zaheer Khan (44 in 309 innings) and Ishant Sharma (40 in 199 innings) have scored more zeroes in international cricket than the former Indian captain.
Virat Kohli overtakes Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar in terms of zeroes
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s return to international cricket drew a huge crowd at the Optus Stadium on Sunday, with fans eager to see the star batsman back in action after 224 days. Expectations were sky high given Kohli’s position as the third-highest run-scorer in ODIs.
However, the comeback ended in shock, and this unexpected dismissal stunned the fans and put India on the backfoot in the opening match of the ongoing three-match ODI series against Australia.
Across all formats, Virat Kohli now has 39 wickets among top and middle-order batsmen (batting orders 1 to 7), surpassing Rohit Sharma, who has 34 wickets in 533 innings, and Sachin Tendulkar, who has 34 wickets in 782 innings. The rare failure of one of India’s greatest batsmen left everyone stunned.
Also read: IND vs AUS In the first ODI, Mitchell Starc bowled the ball to Rohit Sharma at a speed of 176.5 kmph, but there is a catch.
Perth ODI reduced to 32 overs as rain disrupts India-Australia action
On the other hand, the first ODI between India and Australia in Perth has been reduced to 26 overs per side after several rain interruptions, putting extra pressure on both the teams. India reached 50 in 15.4 overs, but a top-order struggle left the touring team in a difficult position.
KL Rahul and Axar Patel are at the crease, looking to steady the innings and build important partnerships. But the rain returned once again, forcing the umpires to send the players back to the dressing room.
Earlier, young Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy made his ODI debut in Perth, where he played his first Test last year. Notably, the ongoing Perth ODI is Rohit Sharma’s 500th international match, making him the fifth player to play the most number of matches for India in international cricket.