Indian superstar Virat Kohli tapped his bat twice on the pitch at Perth Stadium and looked up to see Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood steaming in for the 13th over of this summer’s Border-Gavaskar trophy.
With his side in trouble at 2-18, millions of Indian fans held their breath to watch the most recognisable cricketer in the world try to wrestle back momentum.
What ensued was a bowling masterclass from Hazlewood, who needed just 10 balls to remove the king of Indian cricket and inflict an early psychological blow on the most influential batsman in the visiting change room.
Kohli’s dismissal - caught at first slip by Usman Khawaja for five runs - was one poor shot in isolation but the culmination of a perfectly executed plan from a crafty bowler.
Here’s how it played out.
Virat Kohli was dismissed for five on Friday. Credit: Getty Images
Hazlewood has had moderate success against Kohli in Tests, having bowled to him in 11 matches since 2014. It took Hazlewood just four balls to remove Kohli in the Brisbane Test of 2014 when they first locked horns.
Before this series, Kohli averaged 55.67 with the bat against Hazlewood, slightly above his career mark of 47.83. Hazlewood had removed Kohli on three occasions and conceded 167 runs. In Australia, Kohli averaged 80 against........