Soprts: Virat Kohlis ongoing battle with deliveries outside the off-stump continued as he fell prey to Scott Boland yet again on Day 1 of the fifth Test in Sydney. Coming in after Yashasvi Jaiswals dismissal, Kohli narrowly escaped a first-ball duck when an edge off Boland was grounded by Steve Smith. Kohli managed to stabilize Indian innings along with Shubman Gill by striking a watchful 40 runs for the third wicket. However, this innings came crashing down as on 17 of 68, he edged one more widish delivery towards the debutant Beau Webster.Kohli loves slips like Hashmi loves lips pic.twitter.com/N7HVQGu0Ym— Sagar (@sagarcasm) January 3, 2025Technical adjustments falter for KohliKohli changed his stance and batted out of the crease to counter the Australian bowlers, but he fell into the trap of playing at deliveries outside the off-stump for the seventh time in this series and the fourth against Boland. He has been a cause of concern in this aspect, especially since India needs to win this match to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Netizens react with humor and criticismKohlis dismissal ignited a flurry of reactions on social media. One fan quipped, “Kohli loves slips like Hashmi loves lips,” highlighting his consistent edging to slip fielders. Others offered constructive criticism, comparing Kohlis technique to former Indian captain MS Dhonis art of leaving balls outside off-stump.Strategic changes for the decisive testStand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah chose to bat first, though regular skipper Rohit Sharma was left out due to indifferent form. His place came with Shubman Gill and new pacer Prasidh Krishna, making his debut ahead of injured seamer Akash Deep. The Aussies have also made one change as the all-rounder Beau Webster gets his maiden cap, his Baggy Green coming from former skipper Mark Waugh, in place of Mitchell Marsh.Stakes are high for both teamsIn such a scenario, Australia is set to win the series 2-1 India needs a win to ensure that they leave Australia with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli and Indias potential to negate a disciplined Australian attack will be tested in the second Test.
