Sat Dec 28 04:26:47 UTC 2024: ## Kohli’s Ball-Watching Costs India in Boxing Day Test
**Melbourne, Australia** – A crucial mix-up between Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal led to the latter’s run out for 82, derailing India’s innings on day one of the Boxing Day Test against Australia. The incident, occurring during a 102-run partnership, saw Jaiswal call for a single off the final ball of an over, only to be stranded by Kohli’s ball-watching.
Despite a tight run, Jaiswal would likely have made his ground had Kohli responded promptly to his partner’s call. This isn’t the first time Kohli has been criticized for similar errors; a similar incident involving Axar Patel occurred during the 2022 T20 World Cup match against Pakistan at the same venue.
Following Jaiswal’s dismissal, Kohli himself fell soon after, losing his composure and playing a poor shot. Commentary immediately focused on Kohli’s apparent greed for the strike, especially given it was the final ball of the over.
The run-out triggered a collapse for India, who lost three wickets for six runs in quick succession. The nightwatchman strategy of sending Akashdeep Singh to the crease also failed, resulting in a duck. India ended the day at 164/5, a substantial 310 runs behind Australia. Rishabh Pant (6*) and Ravindra Jadeja (4*) will resume the innings on day two.
First Piper 