Virat Kohli's Struggles on Perth Track Continue as Australia Take Upper Hand

India's star batsman Virat Kohli had a day to forget on the field as he struggled with both bat and ball, falling victim to Josh Hazlewood's sharp delivery in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, which sees Australia gaining an upper hand at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

It was a tough day for Kohli, who not only dropped a simple catch off Marnus Labuschagne, but also managed to score just five runs in the first innings. The incident occurred in the third over of Australia's innings when Labuschagne edged the ball to the slip cordon, but Kohli failed to hold on to the catch, handing Labuschagne a second chance. Labuschagne would go on to fall later, but not before causing a stir with his pre-test prediction that Kohli would nick off the next ball. The prediction, made on the lines of Kohli falling short of his body and nicking the ball off the edge, turned out to be a reality when Hazlewood made a perfect delivery.

Kohli's dismissal was a result of the delivery exploiting the bounce at the Optus Stadium, leaving him caught off guard, despite his attempts to counter the rising deliveries by marking a closer position to the off-stump and attempting to get on the front foot. However, this strategy backfired on him, as Pujara explained in an analysis during the lunch break, highlighting Kohli's eagerness to get on the front foot which prevented him from making the adjustment to the rising delivery. Kohli's technique, which varies from his usual middle-leg guard, proved to be ineffective on the bouncy Perth track.

As India face a stronger challenge in the match, it remains to be seen how Kohli and his team will adjust their strategy to overcome the difficult conditions and bridge the gap to Australia's upper hand.