Virat Kohli reached a new career landmark but was left smarting after being run out as India and Australia battled out an absorbing opening day to their Test series. (SCORECARD | HIGHLIGHTS | NEWS)
India captain Virat Kohli looked in good shape to reach a century until he was run out on day one of the first Test against Australia.
Virat Kohli reached a new career landmark but was left smarting after being run out as India and Australia battled out an absorbing opening day to their Test series. (SCORECARD | HIGHLIGHTS | NEWS)
India reached the close on 233-6, with Kohli making his presence felt as he reached 50 in Tests for the 50th time before being denied the chance to push on for what would have been a 28th century.
The tourists were 188-3 in the day-night contest at the Adelaide Oval when Ajinkya Rahane set off for a single but then sent Kohli, who had reached 74, back.
Captain Kohli was stranded halfway down the pitch and Josh Hazlewood's throw to the non-striker's end found Nathan Lyon waiting to end the dangerman's 180-ball stay.
It meant he was run out for a second time in his Test career, almost nine years after the previous occurrence – also against Australia in Adelaide.
His demise this time clearly rankled and Kohli briefly appeared to give his batting partner a glare of exasperation.
Prithvi Shaw was bowled by Mitchell Starc from the second delivery of the day, getting an inside edge into his stumps to give the paceman his 11th wicket in the first over of a Test since the beginning of 2014.
Mayank Agarwal was bowled by Pat Cummins, and at 32-2, India were just where Australia wanted them. Kohli helped to steady the innings, as he and Cheteshwar Pujara ground out a 68-run partnership.
Pujara had faced 147 balls without hitting a boundary, but he then took a pair of fours off Lyon from consecutive balls before falling for 43 in the spinner's next over, caught at backwards leg gully by a diving Marnus Labuschagne.
Pujara was given not out initially, but a DRS review showed a heavy touch close to the shoulder of the bat. It meant Pujara fell to Lyon for the 10th time in Tests – the most any player has been dismissed by the spinner.
Kohli is only with India for the opening Test of the four-match series, as he will return home after this match for the birth of his first child, and he was putting on a masterclass in patient scoring before his sorry dismissal.
The skipper and Rahane had put on 88, and the latter was 41 not out as Kohli trudged off. Rahane added only one more before he was pinned lbw by Starc (2-49), plumb in front of middle stump.
India surprisingly reviewed that decision, and it looked no better for them on a second viewing, the pink new ball on a collision course until it rapped into the batsman's pads.
As Rahane returned to the dressing room, television cameras showed Kohli shaking his head, with the dismissal before the close of Hanuma Vihari, lbw to Hazlewood, surely doing little to sweeten his mood.