King turns commoner: Virat Kohli scratches and scrapes for error-strewn 182-ball 76

Dominica 2023 may not be mentioned as one of the major pit-stops in Virat Kohli’s cricketing journey. The one-time king of batting excellence had to don overalls and be a blue-collar worker as he struggled through an innings that made him look like an ordinary mortal.It had little to do with the challenge posed the West Indian bowlers. There was not much in the form of sustained excellence in the form of either pace or spin, but Kohli was given some anxious moments nevertheless.Starting the third day on 36, he could have been sent back for 40 had Kraigg Brathwaite held on to a catchable uppish drive off Jomel Warrican at short cover. He could have been out in the first over after lunch had wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva held on to a regulation outside edge when Kohli went for a loose drive outside off-stump. He was on 72 then.

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At that moment, one would have felt that the elements were conspiring to allow Kohli get to his second hundred in three Tests after a long century drought. But off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall, allowed to bowl after a long period off the field due to a chest infection, got one to turn and bounce more than Kohli expected. He could have let it go or take it on the body, but he tried to turn it round the corner and leg-slip took a sharp catch to send the former skipper back for 76.
The pitch at Windsor Park has been slow with some uneven bounce on offer, and Kohli often struggled to get the middle of the bat when the likes of Roach, Jason Holder or Alzarri Joseph dug it in short.
For a batsman known for his sparkling stroke-play, managing just five boundaries in 182 balls shows that the modern batting great didn’t have things all his way. The slow pitch and slow outfield were in stark contrast to what was on offer in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval last month. Three of those fours came in 10 deliveries he faced as Kohli took advantage of some loose stuff from the West Indian part-time bowlers, but otherwise it was an innings of toil.

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While there may have been a temptation to break the shackles and be a little more aggressive, it spoke of Kohli’s maturity that he recognised that it was not quite happening for him and his form and the match situation demanded that he grind an innings out and push the West Indies further out of the game.
In the bigger picture, with Joe Root and Steve Smith getting Test hundreds over the last month, they have gone well past Kohli in the century count, to an extent that some have even questioned if he still belonged to the so-called ‘Fab Four’ group, at least in Test cricket.

Joshua Da Silva was at full stretch but dropped it. So close! 😬#WIvIND pic.twitter.com/Wn7X97DHjD
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But the grit and determination that Kohli showed without looking, at any time, to be in prime batting rhythm, proved that there are still some runs left in him.
One Mumbaikar who faltered
Yashasvi Jaiswal looked all set to get to a double hundred on Test debut, such was his application and control on a pitch that was not a featherbed any means. Neither pace nor spin fazed him, and one felt it would be only a batting error or loss of patience that could prove to be his downfall.
An on-drive off Holder and an upper-cut off Joseph showed that pace wasn’t troubling him, while a straight six off left-arm spinner Jamal Warrican indicated that he was willing to get a move on.
Maybe, that’s what prompted a loose back-foot push off Joseph that only managed a thin outside edge to da Silva behind the stumps. The left-hander departed 29 short of 200, having faced no fewer than 387 deliveries.
As the 21-year-old departed to warm applause from the Indian dressing room and the stands, he was replaced fellow Mumbaikar Ajinkya Rahane, probably at the other end of his Test career.
Almost the forgotten man of Indian cricket till a few months ago, some stellar performances in the Indian Premier League got him back in the reckoning. The veteran made a comeback in the WTC final and was India’s most fluent batsman against the Aussies. But making him vice-captain for the Caribbean sojourn raised a few eyebrows as it was felt many as a step backwards when the need of the hour was regeneration and blooding in a few youngsters.
Friday’s innings was a vital one for Rahane, but he would be kicking himself for his soft dismissal for just three. The first delivery of a Roach spell gripped the surface and bounced a bit more than Rahane expected, and he just spooned an easy catch to short cover.
Rahane may not get another hit in this game, which makes the second Test at Port of Spain all the more important for his Test future.

A debut to remember 🫡@ybj_19
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Playing against nature
Jaiswal faced 16 deliveries before making his first Test run, and went on to score 171. Fellow debutant Ishan Kishan was brought into the side to provide some more batting muscle and flamboyance. So, it was puzzling to see the wicketkeeper-batsman negotiating 19 deliveries without playing a shot in anger.
It clearly upset skipper Rohit Sharma, who gestured from the dressing room to know what was happening. Kishan promptly swivelled on his back-foot next ball and turned one to the onside to get his first run in Test cricket, and Rohit promptly declared the innings at 421/5, with a first innings lead of 271.