Amidst speculation surrounding his recent performance, former India captain Virat Kohli returned to the field on Friday for a match simulation in preparation for the 1st Test against Australia at the Optus Stadium. Despite undergoing scans just a day prior, the renowned batsman managed to score 15 runs in the first innings of the simulation match held at the WACA Ground in Perth. According to a report by the Times of India, Kohli displayed no signs of discomfort during his batting session following the scan on Thursday. However, the report failed to provide clarity on the nature of Kohli's injury concern.
"Virat Kohli is absolutely fine. He batted in the match simulation without any discomfort and also had a hit in the net after he got out. No concerns there," the report quoted a source as saying.
KL Rahul, who is expected to open in the Perth Test in place of captain Rohit Sharma, was struck by a ball during a match simulation and was unable to continue batting. However, the report indicated that there are no significant concerns regarding his injury.
Following his dismissal, Kohli engaged in throwdowns on the sidelines of the simulation match. Additionally, he returned to bat for a second time, scoring an unbeaten 30 before exiting the field.
The Indian batsmen faced challenges against the bowlers during the match simulation. Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy posed difficulties for the Indian batters, including Kohli and Rishabh Pant. While Kohli remained unbeaten on 30, Pant was dismissed for the second time in the day.
The highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia commences on November 22, with the first Test taking place in Perth.
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