India vs Bangladesh: Virat Kohli and the rare duck

Virat Kohli is out for a duck. The stadium is pin drop silent. Not a perfect start to the weekend as most of the spectators at the gate were looking for tickets just to watch the Indian captain in action against Bangladesh here on day two of the first Test.

This is the second time in 2019 that Kohli is out without scoring, and the third time overall in a home Test match. Young Bangladesh pacer Abu Jayed joins Mitchell Starc (Australia) and Suranga Lakmal (Sri Lanka) in the honours board; they are the only bowlers who could get Kohli out for a duck at home.

All charged up after getting rid of Cheteshwar Pujara, the first ball that Jayed bowled to Kohli was a yorker length delivery on the leg stump. He slightly mistimed it and the ball limped to the off side.

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Kohli remained off strike in the next over as Mayank Agarwal took on Ebadat Hossain, smashing him for two boundaries and then taking a single off the last ball. Jayed came back to bowl four more deliveries and Kohli was back on strike to face the fifth ball.

Swing is Jayed’s strength and that’s the reason he was preferred to Mustafizur Rahman in the starting XI. He didn’t disappoint as the next ball to Kohli nipped back and did surprise the star batsman. The bowler appealed for lbw but the umpire was unmoved. He persuaded his captain, Mominul Haque, to call for a review. Great presence of mind as the decision meant an ounce of fresh energy for the depleted visitor.

Kohli’s ducks against England (in 2018-19 at The Oval), Australia (in 2018-19 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground) and West Indies (2019-20 at Kingston) were all in the second innings.

In a Test career spanning eight years and counting, it is only the 10th time that Kohli has been dismissed for a duck in 83* Tests.