Virat Kohli’s Unexpected Entrance
The drama didn’t stop there. Following the on-field call in favor of the bowlers, India’s No. 4 batter, Virat Kohli, walked out to replace Rahul on the pitch. However, the umpires quickly sent Kohli back to the dressing room as it was ruled that Rahul had not been dismissed due to the no-ball. This unusual sequence left the crowd, players, and viewers intrigued by the unfolding events.
What made this moment even more interesting was the fact that Snicko technology, which analyzes sound spikes when the ball passes the bat, showed no clear spike when the ball seemed to go past Rahul’s bat. This raised questions about whether Rahul had been given the option to review the call and whether there was any intent on his part to challenge the decision.
Rahul’s Second Lifeline: A Drop Catch
The eventful over didn’t end with just the no-ball. Rahul was again given a lifeline when Usman Khawaja, standing in the slip cordon, dropped a straightforward catch off the very next ball. This gave Rahul yet another opportunity to continue his innings, much to the frustration of Boland and the Australian team, who had hoped to get rid of him early in the innings. Rahul, with his luck firmly on his side, survived yet another close call.
Despite surviving multiple close calls, Rahul was eventually dismissed for 37 runs off 64 balls, falling to Mitchell Starc, who claimed his second wicket of the day. Earlier in the day, India’s captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. As part of their preparations for the pink-ball Test, India made three key changes to the lineup. Shubman Gill and Ravichandran Ashwin were brought into the team, alongside captain Rohit Sharma, while Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, and Washington Sundar were left out. These changes were made in an attempt to bolster the team’s batting and spin department for the unique challenges posed by the day-night format.
