The hopes of India to escape with a draw in the WTC Final 2023 against Australia at The Oval took a massive dent when Scott Boland dismissed Virat Kohli in the first hour of Day 5.
India had started the day with 280 runs needed and 7 wickets in hand. However, the Asian giants lost 5 wickets in the morning session and their heartbreaks in the ICC tournament continue.
Virat Kohli was the first to go in the morning session, chasing a wider delivery from Boland and edging it to Steve Smith, who took a spectacular catch at second slip.
It was a potent, relentless, brilliantly-planned spell from the ever-metronomic Scott Boland that saw the back of the former India captain early in the first session, denting the hopes of the billion-strong Indian fans of an improbable result.
Boland started off the day with an accurate spell as he’s bowled throughout the Test, and throughout his career, testing both Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane with his tough, good lines and lengths, keeping it on and around the off-stump. After tying down Virat with his good length and line deliveries for the entire over, Boland pushed one full and wide, inviting the India batter into the drive.
Virat Kohli obliged. And gave away an outside edge, throwing away his wicket after batting superbly and patiently for his 49 runs.
This also reminded fans of Virat Kohli’s struggles in England in his career.
A Twitter statistician Kausthub Gudipati recalled a similar incident at The Oval from India’s 2018 tour of England, where Kohli was out driving on the score of 49, edging to the second slip.
Here, check out the tweet revealing stunning similarities in Virat Kohli’s dismissal at The Oval in 2018 tour and WTC Final:
2018 at The Oval
Virat Kohli out at 49
Tried to drive a full and wide ball, gets a thick edge and out to Root at second slip.
2023 at The Oval
Virat Kohli out at 49
Tried to drive a full and wide ball, gets a thick edge and out to Smith at second slip.
At the time of writing, India are 224/8 and on the cusp of another loss in an ICC knockout match.
