Virat Kohli’s Pink-Ball Test Performance: Can He Shine In Adelaide
Explore Virat Kohli’s journey in pink-ball Tests and his prospects for the Adelaide Test in the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Team India is preparing to face Australia in the pink-ball Test as part of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The match will begin at the Adelaide Oval on Friday, December 6. India enters the game with momentum, having secured a dominant 295-run victory in Perth, marking their largest Test win in Australia.
Senior batter Virat Kohli has been under the spotlight due to concerns about his recent form. The 36-year-old struggled in the previous home series against New Zealand, scoring just 93 runs in six innings at an average of 15.50. In the first innings of the Perth Test, Kohli was dismissed for five, but he bounced back brilliantly in the second innings, smashing an unbeaten 100 off 143 balls.
Virat Kohli’s Day-Night Test Performance
Kohli has been a key figure in India’s day-night Test matches. He has played in all four of India’s pink-ball Tests, scoring 277 runs at an average of 46.16, including one century.
In India’s maiden pink-ball Test against Bangladesh in November 2019 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Kohli impressed with a knock of 136 runs off 194 balls, featuring 18 boundaries. India won the game convincingly by an innings and 46 runs.
During the December 2020 pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide, Kohli scored a fluent 74 in the first innings but was run-out following a mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane. However, the match is remembered for India’s second-innings collapse, where the team was bowled out for just 36 runs, leading to an eight-wicket defeat.
In February 2021, Kohli managed a modest score of 27 in the pink-ball Test against England in Ahmedabad. He was bowled by Jack Leach, but India secured a commanding 10-wicket win in the low-scoring two-day encounter.
Kohli’s Last Pink-Ball Test Outing
Kohli’s most recent pink-ball Test appearance was against Sri Lanka in March 2022 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. He had a disappointing outing, scoring 23 and 13 in the two innings. Despite his low scores, India secured a massive 238-run win, thanks to Shreyas Iyer’s crucial knocks of 92 and 67, Rishabh Pant’s contributions, and Jasprit Bumrah’s eight wickets.
As India gears up for the Adelaide pink-ball Test, all eyes will be on Kohli to deliver a strong performance and build on his recent return to form.
Also Read: BGT 2024-25: KL Rahul’s Hilarious Response On Batting Position For Adelaide Test
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