The entire Optus Stadium in Perth cheered as India’s Virat Kohli walked out to bat against Australia on Day 1 of the first Test. Kohli, whose place in the Indian team is under question over repeated failures, was backed to rise to the occasion and deliver with the bat against the opposition he loves facing the most. Kohli even came up with a new plan to counter the threat posed by the Aussies, batting outside the crease but the move backfired.

Kohli came out to bat with the intent of countering the sharp bounce available on Perth pitch by batting a little ahead of the crease. During his 12-ball stay at the crease, however, the talismanic batter looked far from comfortable. After adding just 5 runs to India’s tally, Virat fell to a tactically smart delivery from Hazlewood in the 13th over.

Kohli made a debatable decision to bat well outside the crease in an attempt to negate the movement and bounce that the Australian pacers were managing to produce from the surface. However, the strategy fell flat on its face.

Realising that ploy Kohli had come up with, Hazlewood delivered a brilliant short-pitched ball. Kohli couldn’t establish control over the delivery as the ball climbed on him, caught the edge, and landed into the safe hands of Usman Khawaja.

Kohli’s decision to start well in front of the crease was a strategy that analysts on social media associated with a dip in his confidence.

“Virat Kohli’s average interception point in that innings was the furthest down the track ever in his Test career. It’s always what he does when he’s under pressure – fire with fire. Quite a thing to try and do given his form though,” an analyst remarked in on X (formerly Twitter).

With another low score to his name, Kohli is bound to be under more pressure when he walks out to bat next.