IND vs AUS: Hazlewood accounts for Virat Kohli as his first-innings struggle continues in 2024

When Australia were bowled out for 445, little did the fans expect Virat Kohli to be walking out to bat as early as the third over of the Indian innings at the Gabba. However, such was the feisty start from Mitchell Starc, who blew the Indian top order to smithereens. 

India got off to a sparkling start when Yashasvi Jaiswal edged one to a boundary off the very first ball. But a delivery later, Jaiswal couldn’t help himself but find Mitchell Marsh, who was stationed for that very flick from the Indian opener. 

Starc, who undid Shubman Gill with a brute of an in-swinger at the Adelaide Oval, yet again accounted for him with the one that moved away, as India found themselves in all sorts of trouble at 6/2, needing a miraculous rescue job from Kohli, who had found his feet with a century in the series at Perth. 

It was the second earliest entry point for Kohli in his Test career, walking in to bat in 2.1 overs. Only once (against NZ in 2014) had Kohli walked out to bat at the end of the first over in Auckland. 

However, Kohli’s tough run in the first innings continued at the Gabba, where he walked off without troubling the scorers too much with a 16-ball three, where he bore the brunt of some extraordinary bowling from both Starc and Josh Hazlewood. It extended his poor display in the first innings, with an average of 13.22, the third-lowest for any batter this year (min 100 runs).

Kohli’s first innings score this year read 3 (Gabba), 4, 1, 47, 46, 7, 5, 0 and 6.

Lowest average in first innings in Tests in 2024 (100+ runs)

13.17 - Tom Blundell

13.18 - Tim Southee

13.22 - Virat Kohli*

15.78 - Matt Henry

16.0 - Mitchell Starc

It doesn't end there for the former Indian skipper, who registered his 14th single-digit score in international cricket this year, the joint-most for him in a calendar year, adding to the list of all unwanted records. 

Most single-digit scores for Virat Kohli in a calendar year in international cricket

14 - 2024*

14 - 2011

14 - 2014

13 - 2017

Unsurprisingly, his trouble against Hazlewood too continued, with his fifth dismissal against the Australian pacer in Tests and his eleventh in international cricket overall, joint-most against any bowler. 

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