Despite stepping down from his captaincy post after India’s series loss to South Africa last year, Virat Kohli continues to be a vital figure in the Indian cricket team’s leadership management. This was evident during the second Test against Australia on February 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where Kohli was seen delivering a spirited speech to the Indian squad before the start of the match.
Although Rohit Sharma was appointed as India’s Test skipper, Kohli remains the most successful Test captain with 40 victories to his name.
India put up a strong performance on the field, bowling out Australia for 263 thanks to Mohammed Shami’s four-wicket haul. While Indian spinners Ashwin and Jadeja also contributed to the wicket count, Peter Handscomb’s unbeaten 72 and Usman Khawaja’s 81 lifted the visitors to the scoreline.
In response, India started their innings cautiously and finished with 21 runs on the board at stumps on Day 1, with Rohit Sharma surviving an LBW scare from Nathan Lyon on the penultimate ball of the day.
Earlier in the day, Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s Test mainstay, was presented with a special cap on his landmark 100th match. He was given a ‘Guard of Honour’ by Indian players along with Australian openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja.
The ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy has seen India dominate at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where they have not lost a Test since 1987. As the second Test continues, it remains to be seen whether Australia can make a comeback with some quick wickets on Day 2.
