IND vs AUS, 2nd ODI: Kohli Reaches Unwanted Milestone of 40 Ducks in International Cricket

Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck for the second consecutive ODI against Australia. This failure marked an unwanted milestone, as he became the first Indian specialist batter to register 40 ducks in international cricket.

A rare batting wobble for Virat Kohli put India in early trouble during the second ODI against Australia on Thursday, October 23. The former captain was trapped LBW by Xavier Bartlett for 0 off 4 balls, leaving India struggling at 17/2 in Adelaide. Kohli had a brief word with skipper Rohit Sharma before walking back to the pavilion, visibly frustrated. The blow was compounded as Shubman Gill fell in the same over for 9 off 9 balls, leaving India on the back foot in the early stages of the chase.

Back-to-Back Ducks for Kohli

This marks two consecutive ducks for Kohli, a rare setback in his otherwise stellar career. In the first ODI in Perth on October 19, he was dismissed for a duck by Mitchell Starc, registering his first-ever ODI duck in Australia after 30 innings.

With this latest failure, Kohli also hit an unwanted milestone becoming the first Indian specialist batter to register 40 ducks in international cricket.

Kohli’s ODI Record in Australia

Despite this hiccup, Kohli has had a strong ODI record Down Under. Since debuting in Australia in 2012, he has scored 1,327 runs in 30 innings at an average of 49.14, including five centuries and six half-centuries. It took Australian bowlers 13 years to finally dismiss him for a duck in the 50-over format.

Joining the Unwanted List

With his latest dismissal, Kohli has now recorded 17 ducks in ODIs, matching Harbhajan Singh. The only Indian with more ducks in ODIs remains Sachin Tendulkar, who recorded 20 in 463 matches.