Kohli’s Frustration Boils Over After Bizarre Dismissal, Leaves Crowd Stunned in Pune
Kohli's Frustration Boils Over After Bizarre Dismissal, Leaves Crowd Stunned in Pune
New Zealand dominated the opening hour on Day 2 of the second Test in Pune, as left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner dismissed Indian captain Virat Kohli in a manner that left fans and commentators stunned. India was struggling at 68 for three after Santner’s quick double strike, with Kohli’s bizarre dismissal being the most notable moment.
Santner, who earlier trapped Shubman Gill LBW, bowled a low full-toss delivery in the 24th over that angled towards the middle stump. Kohli, who typically plays spin with finesse, opted for an uncharacteristic hack across the line. The ball slipped under his bat and crashed into the stumps, sending Kohli back for just 1. He stood at the crease in disbelief, frozen for a few seconds, before swinging his bat in frustration. As he walked back to the dugout shaking his head, the silent crowd at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium reflected the shock of the moment.
Former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri joined the commentary shortly after the dismissal. Gavaskar remarked that Kohli could have simply flicked the ball through midwicket. “He does it so well with the bottom hand. But here, the bat hit the ground first, and that didn’t help,” he commented.
He was frustrated & abusing himself while going 😭❤🕺 https://t.co/P5qHl02IRz
— POTT⁷⁶⁵ (@KlolZone) October 25, 2024
Kohli’s struggle against spin in recent years has been widely noted. In the last three years, he has fallen to spinners 21 times in 26 innings on Asian soil, including ten dismissals by left-arm orthodox bowlers, averaging only 27.10 against them. Moments later, India also lost Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 30 before falling to Glenn Phillips.
One fan tweeted that Kohli seemed “frustrated and abusing himself” as he returned to the pavilion, marking a challenging start for India on Day 2.
