#INDvAUS | In Mitchell Starc vs Virat Kohli contest, pacer draws first blood by dismissing Indian skipper on duck

Mitchell Starc sent India on backfoot on Day 2 of the first Test by dismissing Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara back to pavilion in a matter of three balls.

Pune: Australian pacer Mitchell Starc once again proved why is he widely regarded as a world class speedster by the cricket cognoscenti by sending India on backfoot on Day 2 of the first Test match being played at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Bowling his heart out on a pitch tailor-made for spinners, the left-arm quick first dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara (6), and then followed it with the huge wicket of Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli (0) two balls later.

In the 15th over of the innings, Starc's first ball to Pujara was on off-stump. He then surprised the Saurashtra batsman with an absolute ripper, a ball which bounced sharply from middle stump line and went to the keeper in a flash after kissing Pujara's gloves.

Kohli was the new man in and he was welcomed with a quick ball outside the off-stump, which he let go. Starc then lured Kohli with a juicy wide ball, Kohli went for the drive but got an edge which was neatly taken by Steve Smith in skipper.

There was a lot of talk about the Starc vs Kohli contest and the Aussie pacer won the first battle in style.

It was Kohli's first duck since being dismissed for nought at Old Trafford in 2014 against England. It was also Kohli's first duck on Indian soil and fifth overall.

Earlier, Starc also contributed valuable 61 runs with the bat for the Aussies. The visitors were in dire straits at 205/9 on Day 1 post which the left-hander launched a stunning counter-attack and raced to his half-century off just 47 balls.

Starc's resistance ended when he was dismissed for 61 by Ravichandran Ashwin in the first over on Day 2. Starc and Josh Hazlewood (1*) added 55-run stand for the last wicket.