It feels like it’s Virat Kohli‘s home ground wherever he plays, not just in India, but around the world, as the crowd goes berserk every time the 34-year-old steps into the field to kick-start his innings.
The same thing happened on Sunday, in the 2nd ODI against Australia, when a jam-packed crowd at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam, gave KING KOHLI a raucous, standing-ovation welcome when the legendary batsman entered the field to bat after the fall of India’s first wicket.
After being put in to bat first by Australia captain Steve Smith, India lost opener Shubman Gill in the first over itself to Mitchell Starc.
Just after Marnus Labuschagne completed Gill’s catch, the crowd was stunned, and there was pin-drop silence. But soon after, realizing that it was Virat Kohli who was next to come, the crowd started buzzing with cheers – it has been a common theme in Indian grounds, first with Sachin Tendulkar and now with Virat Kohli, that even a fall of an Indian wicket brings cheers in the stands.
Even before Kohli had crossed the boundary line, there was huge noises from the crowd, all eyes transfixed onhttp://thecricketlounge.com/angry-virat-kohli-scolds-nitin-menon/ the Indian dressing room.
And then he came, he entered, he skipped the boundary line, and approached the centre of the ground, shoulders relaxed, mind focused, eyes steely. Virat Kohli is here. The crowd goes bonkers.
Here, watch the video: Vizag crowd wildly excitedly welcomes Virat Kohli
The best in the business, @imVkohli, arrives to the crease.
Expect those signature drives and flicks this innings! 😍Tune-in to the 2nd Mastercard #INDvAUS ODI, LIVE on the Star Sports Network & Disney+Hotstar!#BelieveInBlue #Cricket pic.twitter.com/EMTCU8uG6f
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 19, 2023
Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc has continued his fiery bowling from Wankhede and bringing it to Vizag and has toppled 3 of India’s top 4, at the time of writing. Starc dismissed Gill in the first over; in his 3rd over, Starc got rid of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, who was outlbw again, for a first-ball duck again to Starc.
The onus now is on Virat Kohli, who has an outstanding record in Vizag, and KL Rahul, who was brilliant in the Wankhede ODI, taking India home from a similarly precarious situation.
Playing XIs for second ODI:
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami
Australia (Playing XI): Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey(w), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
