Virat Kohli's recurring weakness exposed again in Sydney as he suffers 22nd dismissal in 4 years

Kohli fell victim to a well-directed ball that pitched just outside off-stump and nipped away slightly. Attempting to play a push shot, Kohli got an outside edge which was sharply caught by debutant Beau Webster at slip. This marked the 22nd occasion since 2021 that Kohli had been dismissed by pacers due to his tendency to play away from the off-stump, exposing a recurring flaw in his technique that leaves him vulnerable to deliveries that move away from him.

The dismissal was especially frustrating for Kohli, as he had been given a huge reprieve earlier in the innings. In a bizarre twist of fate, Kohli had survived a close call on the very first delivery after his arrival at the crease.

He edged a ball from Boland to Steve Smith at second slip, who dived low to his right and scooped the ball towards fourth slip, where Marnus Labuschagne completed the catch. However, after multiple replays, third umpire Joel Wilson ruled the ball had touched the ground before reaching Labuschagne, and Kohli was given not out.

The SCG crowd had erupted with the big screen showed "NOT OUT," and Kohli, visibly relieved, cracked a wry smile. But his luck did not last long, as Boland made him pay for his continued flirtation with deliveries outside off-stump.

Kohli's dismissal adds to Sydney drama

This early wicket came amid dramatic developments off the field. Indian captain Rohit Sharma ‘opted out’ of the final Test after his poor form dominated the build-up to the match. Jasprit Bumrah took over as captain for the fifth Test, having previously led the team in the series opener when Rohit took paternity leave.

The move raised questions over the future of the 37-year-old Rohit, who has failed to score more than 10 runs in his five innings this series. Kohli's own pressure to deliver was high, having failed to build on his lone hundred in the series at Perth.

With India trailing 1-2 in the series, the weight of expectation only increased as the team sought to keep their hopes of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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