Virat Kohli’s anger reached its boiling point after another flop show in the second Test match against New Zealand in Pune. The Indian stalwart, known for his calm demeanour these days, was captured on camera venting his frustration by smashing a water bottle box.
IND vs NZ: ‘Angry Virat Kohli’
The incident occurred after Kohli was dismissed LBW by Mitchell Santner in the second innings. Santner’s delivery, angled into the pads, skidded off the pitch and struck Kohli plumb in front of leg stump. The on-field umpire wasted no time in raising the dreaded finger.
The decision, upheld by the DRS, clearly irked the former Indian captain. While Kohli is known for his intense passion and competitive spirit, his reactions are usually controlled and measured nowadays. As he walked back to the pavilion, he vented his frustration by striking the water cooler with his bat.
This outburst, while unusual for Kohli, highlights the intense pressure he is riding on currently. After all, he is enduring a tough phase currently with the bat, averaging only 21.9 across formats this year – his career-worst.
More on Virat Kohli
“Hard luck, Kohli”
As Kohli walked back to the pavilion, fans from the stands murmured, “Hard luck.” But the damage was done. The Indian maestro, the once-unstoppable Virat Kohli, had been humbled. He only scored 18 runs in the whole Test match and 88 runs in the entire series. What’s more concerning has been his inability to tackle the spin. Whenever a bowler pitched it at the right areas, Kohli looked all at sea, not oozing any confidence.
Talking about the result, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner was the star of the show. He took 13 wickets in the match, leading his team to a historic victory. This was not only New Zealand’s maiden Test series win in India but also ended India’s 12-year dominance at home.
Virat Kohli stats in Tests in 2024
| Stats | |
|---|---|
| Matches | 5 |
| Innings | 10 |
| Runs | 245 |
| Average | 27.22 |
| SR | 71.01 |
| 50/100 | 1/0 |
