Bengaluru, October 17: Star Indian batter Virat Kohli’s struggles continued as he registered an unfortunate milestone during Day 2 of the first Test match against New Zealand. Dismissed for a 9-ball duck by pacer Will O’Rourke, Kohli equaled the dubious record of 38 international ducks, sharing the top spot with New Zealand’s Tim Southee as the cricketers with the most ducks among active players.
The dismissal came from a short-of-length delivery that flew off Kohli’s gloves, with Glenn Phillips taking a sharp catch at leg gully. This latest setback highlights Kohli’s ongoing challenges with form, with fans and analysts hoping for a turnaround in the upcoming matches. India skipper Rohit Sharma also features in this unfortunate list, sitting third with 33 career ducks.
Toss, Rain, and Changes in the Indian Squad
Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first in a rain-affected start to the series. Persistent rain washed out Day 1 entirely, and play resumed only on Day 2 under overcast conditions.
India made two key changes to their lineup:
- Sarfaraz Khan replaced Shubman Gill, who missed the game due to neck stiffness.
- Kuldeep Yadav was brought in for seamer Akash Deep to strengthen the spin attack.
“Shubman was not 100 percent, so we made the change,” Rohit Sharma confirmed at the toss.
The teams will face off in two more Tests—at Pune from October 24-28, and in Mumbai from November 1-5.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke.
