New Delhi: Team India registered a spectacular 26-run win by DLS method, over Australia in the first one-day international game at M Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. But unfortunate for India skipper Virat Kohli, his nightmarish run against the visitors continued this year as he registered his second duck in 2017.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

After Aussie pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile dismissed opener Ajinkya Rahane off a tempting outside-off delivery, he continued the similar against Kohli, who had walked in next. Four! The 28-year-old faced just four deliveries. Fourth over – fourth ball, shorter of a length and Coulter-Nile swung the ball away from the off stump as Kohli let it the ball fly past him. The seamer changed his length to more of a fullish delivery, but keeping the line same as Kohli tempted to play a drive down covers got a nick off the outside edge. The final delivery of the over was shorter again, outside the off stump as the batsman leaped to tap it down to the fielder at point. Kohli failed to affect the scoreboard after facing three deliveries.


Pat Cummins had stepped in next and bagged a maiden. Coulter-Nile was back in. First ball, fullish delivery well outside off enticed the skipper to lean in for a drive. But the ball kissed the thick outside edge to fly high towards backward point. Glenn Maxwell hopped high, clutched it on one-hand and thus pulled off a screamer. Kohli fell for a duck and India looked to stutter completely with 11 runs on the board and 2 wickets down within the sixth over.


Fans had expected a lot from the 28-year-old. After an incredible display of batting abilities against Sri Lanka, there were sure expectations for the show to go on. But unfortunate for Kohli as he bagged a duck in the Australia series opener. Although this wasn't for the first time this year that the Aussies managed to keep the Delhi-based cricketer quite.


The year had witnessed the Border-Gavaskar Test series in the month of February-March. Kohli was up and rolling in the home season till then with his tons and double tons. A similar was expected from the skipper, but his Test scores against the team from Down Under stood as – 0, 13, 12, 15, 6. Yes, that included a duck too, which came in the first Test at MCA Stadium, Pune and Mitchell Starc had bagged the prized wicket.


In terms of ODI cricket, earlier this summer, Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the ICC Champions Trophy group stage match against Sri Lanka, at The Oval. Ergo, his second duck in 2017 in 19 ODI innings. Going by his records in the last two years, he had never registered a score of zero, playing 30 ODI innings. At home, this was his second score of zero in ODIs. Coincidentally, the last time was against Australia too, back in 2013, which came off an unfortunate run-out and Coulter-Nile was the bowler.


In total, the skipper has 27 ducks in his professional career and the Perth-based seamer is the only bowler to dismiss him for a score of zero twice. The other being during the IPL season 10 encounter between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.


Well, it seems Steve Smith did leave upto one of his plans – "He (Kohli) is obviously a very good player and has a phenomenal ODI record. Hopefully, we can keep him quiet as much as possible in this series. If we do that then hopefully it can go a long way in us having success on this tour," he had said in a presser, prior to the first ODI.