Virat Kohli may not have made the most of his start with the bat in India’s first innings of the Melbourne Test against Australia, but he was back at his animated best on Sunday, egging his teammates on the field and even taking charge at times to remind of his captaincy days.
Kohli, who was dismissed for 36 and was also involved in a mix-up that cost India the wicket of a well-set Yashasvi Jaiswal (82), came out on the field in Australia’s second innings full of energy.
He was seen walking up to the bowlers with a piece of advice, setting fields and also bucking up Jaiswal, motivating him after he had dropped an important catch off Marnus Labuschagne’s bat.
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While the above video compilation from moments of Kohli taking the lead was being aired during live broadcast on Sunday, former India coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri explained the mindset of Indian team, which, he felt, would have been lifted after the 127-run partnership for the 8th wicket between centurion Nitish Kumar Reddy (114) and his fellow all-rounder Washington Sundar (50).
India were staring down the barrel at 221 for 7 in response to Australia’s 474 when Sundar walked in to join Reddy.
“That partnership would have lifted the (Indian) dressing room, and they would have said, ‘Come on, let’s support that partnership, let’s go out there as a team and let Australia know that we still believe we are in this contest’. The only way you can do that is (by) thinking (about taking) wickets. And they have done exactly that,” said Shastri.
India came out firing as Jasprit Bumrah once again led the wicket-taking duties with four strikes, including an unplayable burst of 11 balls that fetched him three wickets for just three runs and his 200th Test wicket when he dimissed Travis Head.
“They would have said, ‘forget about the lead, 105 or whatever it is, think of bowling Australia out for 150; if we can do that, we still have a chance in this contest,” Shastri added.
The inspired spells by Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who took two wickets, restricted Australia to 135 for 6 at tea on day four for a lead of 240 runs.
