Virat Kohli appeared to be in complete command against the Australian spinners on Day 2 of the second Test in Delhi. He advanced to smother Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy's spin, and utilized his exquisite wrists to work them towards the on-side. He was quick to rock back on the back foot, and was equally adept when the bounce stayed low as he was intently watching the ball. All in all, he looked poised for a big score and India desperately needed one of those trademark Kohli innings after losing their top five for a meager total.
It took a commendable delivery from debutant Matthew Kuhnemann and a contentious decision from both the on-field umpire and the third umpire to bring an abrupt end to Kohli's innings of 44 in the second session on Saturday.
It was the third delivery of the 45th over of the Indian innings, and Kohli just failed to get his pads out of the way of the ball. Did Kunhemann hit him on the pads, or not? Umpire Nitin Menon had no doubt that it was pad first, and that it would have gone on to hit the stumps.
Kohli was quick to request a review, likely for two reasons: he believed he had made contact with the ball and it was heading for the ground. Third umpire Richard Illingworth took an extended period of time to determine whether the ball had first struck Kohli's bat or his pad. The critical factor to consider was that he had to have definitive proof to overturn the on-field umpire's decision, which he evidently did not possess. It seemed that the ball had struck the inside edge of Kohli's bat and his front pad simultaneously.
Ball tracking revealed that the ball would have just grazed the leg stump, so it was up to the umpire to make the call. Illingworth requested that Menon stand by his decision of "out".
Needless to say, Kohli was far from pleased. He had anticipated the contentious call to go his way, but it didn't. The former Indian captain was livid as he trudged back to the pavilion. The Indian dressing room was also clearly displeased with the decision. Kohli, in fact, was observed scrutinizing the replays and expressing even greater dissatisfaction upon his return to the dressing room.
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