Virat Kohli's return to international cricket was marked by consecutive ducks in the ODI series against Australia. After his second dismissal in Adelaide, a venue where he has historically excelled, Kohli gave a subtle wave to the crowd.
A rare moment of vulnerability for Virat Kohli left cricket fans talking on Thursday, October 23. After being dismissed for consecutive ducks in the ODI series against Australia, the former India captain gave a quiet wave to the Adelaide Oval crowd — a gesture that seemed almost like a farewell.
Adelaide has long been a fortress for Kohli. Across formats, he has scored 975 runs at the venue, the most by any visiting batter. On Thursday, however, the roaring cheers he received when walking out to bat were replaced by a brief, bittersweet stay at the crease.
After just four balls, Kohli was dismissed, but the crowd gave him a warm ovation and he responded with a subtle, uncharacteristic wave. Fans immediately speculated: was it a simple acknowledgment, or did it hint at an ODI retirement?
Struggles on Return
Kohli's comeback to international cricket hasn't been smooth. Playing his first series after a seven-month break and after retiring from T20Is and Tests, he was dismissed for a duck in the series-opener at Perth's Optus Stadium on October 19. Left-armer Mitchell Starc bowled away deliveries that Kohli tried to force but missed, resulting in a catch to backward point.
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Three days later, in Adelaide, Xavier Bartlett got the better of him. Bartlett bowled a series of back-of-the-length deliveries before delivering a full ball that trapped Kohli LBW, leaving him with back-to-back ducks, a rare setback in the career of one of cricket's modern greats.
Fans and Social Media Buzz
The wave at Adelaide Oval sparked as much conversation as the dismissals themselves. Cricket fans flooded social media, debating whether it was just a polite acknowledgment of the crowd or something deeper, a quiet goodbye to one of his favorite grounds or even a signal about his future in ODIs.
Kohli made a highly anticipated return to competitive cricket in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Australia, alongside Rohit Sharma, who retired from Test cricket earlier this year.
However, before this match, Virat's numbers at Adelaide in ODIs have been fine, with 244 runs in four innings at an average of 61.00, with two centuries and a best score of 107.
Both of his centuries have been historic, one being against Pakistan in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, making him the first Indian to crack a WC ton against the arch-rivals.
Currently, Kohli (51 tons in ODIs) and Sachin (51 in Tests) are equal owners of record for most centuries by a batter in a single format. One more century would mark his 52nd century in ODIs, marking the most centuries by a batter within a single format.
Earlier in the match, Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to bowl against India in the second ODI.
Australia kicked off the three-match ODI series against India with a comfortable seven-wicket win at the Perth Stadium in Perth, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
(With inputs from ANI)
