India’s Virat Kohli experienced a challenging day on the field, as he missed a straightforward catch, giving Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne a second life during the first AUS v IND Test at Perth Stadium.
The star Indian batter struggled significantly with the bat, managing only five runs in the first innings.
To compound matters, he made a critical error in the field by dropping an easy catch, which proved detrimental to the team’s efforts.
The incident took place in the third over of Australia’s innings, shortly after Marnus Labuschagne had joined Usman Khawaja at the crease following the early dismissal of debutant Nathan McSweeney.
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s stand-in captain, bowled a full-length delivery that prompted the batter to step forward. As Labuschagne attempted a defensive stroke, the ball moved away, catching him off guard.
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Consequently, Australia’s number three batsman edged the ball, which flew directly to the slip cordon. However, Virat Kohli was unable to hold on to the catch, dropping what should have been a simple opportunity.
Although Kohli initially grasped the ball, he lost control while celebrating what he believed to be a dismissal, thus failing to complete the catch in the first AUS v IND Test.
The pitch at the Perth Stadium favoured fast bowlers thus far. After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, India was dismissed for a meagre total of 150 runs in their first innings of the opening AUS v IND game.
However, the visitors made a strong start with the ball, as Bumrah claimed four wickets, leaving the Australian side struggling at 677 for seven in their first innings.
