‘Ego higher than team, won’t learn': Fans troll Virat Kohli after he gets out to delivery outside off stump once again

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli's recurring struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump took centre stage once more on the opening day of the fifth Test against Australia, on Friday. On a challenging pitch, Virat managed only 17 runs before succumbing to Scott Boland shortly after the lunch interval. The dismissal left fans exasperated, reigniting debates about his form and place in the Indian Test team.

Virat’s dismissal came as no surprise to cricket enthusiasts who have followed his ongoing battle with deliveries in the corridor of uncertainty. The right-hander had a close call on the very first ball he faced but managed to survive. However, Boland, exploiting Virat’s Achilles’ heel, bowled a delivery just outside off-stump that slightly nipped away. Virat, tempted to play at the ball, ended up edging it to the slips, where debutant Beau Webster made no mistake.

This marked the 22nd occasion since 2021 that Virat has fallen prey to pacers in this manner, a statistic that has increasingly highlighted a glaring flaw in his technique. Fans, who had long celebrated Virat’s mastery with the bat, are growing restless with his ‘copy-paste dismissals,’ as many termed them.

On social media, the criticism was scathing. Many supporters expressed their frustration over Virat’s persistence with risky shots outside the off-stump, labelling it as an indication of stubbornness or, worse, an inflated ego prioritising personal style over the team’s cause.

Some even questioned Virat’s future in the Test side, with comparisons drawn to Rohit Sharma’s recent exclusion from the longest format.

As India labours to post a competitive total in the decider, Virat’s latest failure has only intensified scrutiny over his form. Whether this dismissal will serve as a wake-up call or yet another missed opportunity for introspection remains to be seen.