India VS Bangladesh 2024: Virat Kohli's Turns Analyst Into a Wizard

Star Indian batter Virat Kohli walked out to a loud cheer from the crowd at Chepauk on the first day of the 1st Test against Bangladesh. However, his time at the crease was short-lived, lasting just six balls as a familiar weakness resurfaced. Bangladesh's fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, who had already taken the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, delivered a ball just short of length outside the off-stump. It wasn't an ideal ball to drive, but Kohli went for the shot anyway. The ball took a thick edge off his bat and landed safely in wicketkeeper Litton Das' gloves.

Former cricketer Tamim Iqbal, speaking on Sports18 during the lunch break, explained Kohli's dismissal. He said, "Virat is returning to Test cricket after some time, and he's probably trying to get back into rhythm by feeling the ball. It happens to everyone. We've all been there. You want to make contact with the ball. But the area where he got out is one where he’s been dismissed many times before. This was a dismissal that made the analyst look like a magician—it was a well-planned delivery, and Virat fell into the trap."

By tea on Day 1, India had reached 176/6, with Ravindra Jadeja (7) and Ravichandran Ashwin (21) at the crease. Yashasvi Jaiswal played a solid knock, scoring 56 runs from 118 balls, including nine boundaries, while Hasan Mahmud was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, taking 4 wickets for 35 runs.

India's batting performance was puzzling, as neither the pitch nor the bowlers seemed to present any major challenges. The dismissals appeared more due to lapses in concentration than any real difficulty. Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant (who scored 39) shared a partnership of 62 runs from 99 balls for the fourth wicket, but their dismissals seemed to confirm India's lack of focus at crucial moments.