India vs South Africa: 9 in a row, Virat Kohli hasn’t made a successful DRS call in 2 years as batsman
The last time Kohli had got a successful review as a batsman in Tests, was against Sri Lanka in November 2017.
India captain Virat Kohli was hoping to pile on more misery on South Africa in the 3rd Test in Ranchi. But the batsman could not get going as he was trapped by Proteas seamer Anrich Nortje for 12. The ball nipped back in and hit Kohli on the front leg. The bowler was quick to go for a huge appeal and the umpire took no time to give the judgment in favour of South Africa. But Kohli was not convinced and he discussed Rohit Sharma on the other end before calling for a review.
The replays showed that the balls were just clipping the leg stumps, and was judged as “umpire’s call”, which meant Kohli had to walk back, even though the hosts did not lose review. With this, it was the 9th consecutive time Kohli’s review call as Test batsman was unsuccessful. The last time Kohli had got a successful review as a batsman in Tests, was against Sri Lanka in November 2017.
India vs South Africa 3rd Test Day 1: Follow live score and updates
After Kohli’s dismissal, India found themselves in trouble, losing three wickets in the first session. Opener Rohit Sharma led the repair work with a combative, scoring a half century, and building a 100+ runs partnership with Ajinkya Rahane who also went on to bring up his fifty.
Uneven bounce greeted the Indian openers after hosts elected to bat Rabada and Lungi Ngidi made full use of the conditions to give the visitors their best start of the series. Pacer Rabada was impressive in his first spell of 7-4-15-2 as he got rid of opener Mayank Agarwal (10) and Cheteshwar Pujara (nought) inside the first-hour’s play.
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The first breakthrough came in Rabada’s third over when the pacer swung it away with Agarwal edging it to Dean Elgar at third slip. The young fast bowler dismissed Pujara in his fifth over following a successful review by the Proteas after on-field umpire Richard Illingworth turned down an lbw appeal.
But it was Nortje who earned the prized scalp of India skipper Virat Kohli, who could not read one that came back in sharply. Kohli took the review but it was not unsuccessful.
(With agency inputs)
