AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli closes in on Sachin Tendulkar as he battles fifty in Perth

Senior Indian batsman Virat Kohli returned to form with a fifty in Perth on Sunday, November 24. Playing in difficult conditions on the third day at the Optus Stadium, Kohli completed his half-century off 94 balls to maintain India’s dominance in the first Test. Border-Gavaskar Trophy match.

With his fifty, Kohli moved close to Sachin Tendulkar for the most 50-over scores in Australia. It was Kohli’s 11th 50-over against Australia, two behind Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 13. Sachin, India’s all-time scorer against Australia, scored 6 hundreds and 7 fifties.

On Sunday, Kohli fought with great determination to get back into shape. The batter was hampered by Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon but managed to get ahead of both bowlers.

Kohli hit 3 boundaries and 1 six in his half-century and provided India with much-needed stability after they lost 4 wickets in a row.

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Earlier, the Indian batter did not have a good first innings performance as he was bowled out for just 5 runs on Friday, November 22nd. Things quickly went south when Kohli fell victim to an extra bounce off Josh Hazlewood during morning practice at the Optus Stadium. Kohli looked far from comfortable during his 12-ball stint at the crease. After making just five runs, he fell to a smart delivery from Hazlewood in the 13th over.

Kohli made a bold decision to bowl well outside the crease in an attempt to negate the movement that the Australian bowlers were extracting. His intention was to play on the front foot, but the extra bounce on offer at the Optus Stadium canceled it out.

Noticing Kohli’s position outside the off-stump, Hazlewood sent the ball short. Kohli found himself in no man’s land when the ball came at him, caught the edge and was comfortably bowled by Usman Khawaja.

Renowned cricket analyst Ben Jones highlighted the risk of Kohli’s approach, which he has used several times in his career.

“Virat Kohli’s catch average in this innings was the furthest in his Test career. That’s what he always does when he’s under pressure – fire with fire. Although, given its shape, it’s definitely worth a try,” Jones noted. in a message on X.

In the second innings of the match, Kohli looked more confident, taking on the bowlers on the back foot despite inconsistent bounce on the Perth pitch. The change in methods bore fruit as the batter was able to score his first fifty after the first Test match against New Zealand in Bangalore.