The Law of Average has finally struck! Star Indian batter Virat Kohli had to depart without troubling the scoreboard in the crucial India vs England (IND vs ENG) Cricket World Cup encounter. This was Virat Kohli’s first ODI duck since February 2022. Incidentally, it is also the first time that Kohli has been dispatched for a duck in the World Cup.
It has taken Kohli 32 innings in the World Cup to get dismissed for a duck. In what happens to be a crucial encounter for the Men In Blue, the Indian Cricket Team is certainly on the back foot. With a win guaranteeing a spot in the semifinals, India have been tasked to bat first by England on a slow Lucknow pitch.
After a slow start, Rohit switched gears and went to attack the English pacers. But Shubman Gill was dismissed after a stunning Chris Woakes delivery went through his gates to disrupt the stums.
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On came Virat Kohli, brimming with confidence and eyeing yet another ton to match the great Sachin Tendulkar’s 49th ODI century record. David Willey & Woakes continued to mount pressure as Kohli failed to rotate the strike even after 8 balls. With pressure mounting, Kohli attempted to play a big shot, no proper connection and mistime saw the ball safely reaching the hands of Ben Stokes as Kohli had to walk back with a 9-ball duck.
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Virat Kohli DUCK
The last ball of the 7th over! Pressure mounting on Virat Kohli as the former Indian skipper is yet to open his account. Four dot balls on a row in the over and Kohli makes a premeditated attempt to go long. A short-of-length ball from David Willey, Kohli with no foot movement stays ground but looks to go over the covers to get a boundary.
No proper connection as the ball hits the toe end of the bat and takes the aerial route. The ball fails to cover any distance whatsoever and falls into the safe hands of Ben Stokes positioned at mid-off.
