‘He got out twice, so what?’: Sunil Gavaskar backs Virat Kohli after failure in first-innings of second Test vs AUS

New Delhi: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar defended Virat Kohli’s technique following his rare failure on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test, stating that a single dismissal cannot overshadow the consistency that has earned him over 9,000 Test runs. While Kohli’s wicket mirrored his Perth dismissal against the bounce, Gavaskar dismissed concerns over his adaptability.

Virat Kohli was dismissed by a rising Mitchell Starc delivery outside off stump, edging to Steve Smith in the slips. The dismissal prompted criticism from some experts, highlighting his recurring vulnerability to deliveries in that channel.

Sunil Gavaskar dismissed concerns over Virat Kohli’s cheap first-innings dismissal, emphasizing that his track record and vast experience outweigh isolated failures.

“The man has got more than 9000 Test runs batting with the same technique. He has got out twice, so what? He has 30 hundreds. He knows how to bat,” Gavaskar said while speaking on JioCinema after the end of Day 1’s play.

“It is so that you can’t bring it down in time to let the ball harmlessly pass. But the man was not lucky in Perth or this time around. There is plenty of time left in this series,” Gavaskar added.

Mitchell Starc shifted the momentum in Australia’s favor by dismissing KL Rahul (37 off 64) and Virat Kohli (7 off 8) in quick succession, breaking a solid 69-run opening stand between Rahul and Shubman Gill (31 off 51).

India’s troubles deepened as Scott Boland trapped a well-set Shubman Gill (31) plumb in front with a pinpoint full delivery. The collapse escalated rapidly, with India losing their last three wickets for a mere 12 runs in a dramatic sequence of events.

Electing to bat first, India appeared steady at 69/1 but lost momentum dramatically, collapsing to a modest total of 180 all out just before the dinner break.