Thu Oct 17 04:30:00 UTC 2024: ## Virat Kohli’s Surprise No. 3 Debut Ends in Duck as India’s Batting Order Reshuffled in First Test
**Bengaluru, India:** In a surprising turn of events, Virat Kohli took the No. 3 batting position for India in the first Test against New Zealand at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, despite having limited experience in the slot. The move came after Shubman Gill, the usual No. 3, was ruled out due to neck stiffness, and with the team sheet listing Kohli in that position.
The decision was seen as a gamble, considering Kohli’s lack of success batting at No. 3 in his long career. He has only batted there six times previously, scoring a mere 97 runs at an average of 19. However, despite the uncertainty, Kohli was eager to take on the challenge.
“We want to put runs on the board,” said Indian captain Rohit Sharma after the toss. However, the gamble didn’t pay off. Kohli was dismissed for a duck off 9 balls, caught by the short fine leg fielder after failing to control a rising delivery from Will O’Rourke.
The first day of the match was washed out due to persistent rain, but play resumed on Thursday under cloudy skies. India, fielding a full-strength squad after a successful 2-0 series win against Bangladesh, made two changes to their team, replacing Shubman Gill and Akash Deep with Sarfaraz Khan and Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand, on the other hand, opted for three seamers and the spin of Ajaz Patel, with Mitchell Santner missing out. The Kiwis are coming off a 2-0 series loss to Sri Lanka and a washed-out Test against Afghanistan.
This Test series is crucial for India, as a 3-0 victory would all but secure their place in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s next June. The second Test will be played in Pune starting October 24th, and the third in Mumbai from November 1st.
First Piper 