‘Kohli loves slips like Emraan Hashmi loves lips’: Fans slam Virat Kohli after he falls for outside off-stump trap again

Virat Kohli's woeful run against deliveries pitched outside the off-stump continued, as the Indian batter once again fell to Scott Boland's trap on Day 1 of the fifth and final Test in Sydney on Friday. Coming in after Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal, Kohli survived a first-ball duck when he edged a delivery from Boland, but TV replays revealed that Steve Smith had grounded the catch.

Thereafter, Kohli played a patient game as he and Shubman Gill steadied the Indian innings with a 40-run stand for the third wicket in 106 balls before Gill was dismissed at the stroke of lunch. After the break, with Rishabh Pant joining him at the crease, Kohli looked at ease, playing against the opposition comfortably.

However, a lapse in concentration and the urge to play at widish deliveries outside the off-stump cost him his wicket. Kohli, who appeared to have adjusted his stance in Sydney, batted out of the crease in an attempt to counter the ball movement.

Watch Virat Kohli's dismissal

He tried to play the delivery with soft hands, but the ball took the edge and was caught by debutant Beau Webster. Kohli scored 17 off 68 balls. This marked his seventh dismissal in this fashion during the series and the fourth time falling to Boland.

Kohli's dismissal didn’t sit well with netizens. “Kohli loves slips like Hashmi loves lips,” quipped one user. Another said that Virat Kohli should learn to leave balls from former India captain MS Dhoni.

“Virat Kohli should learn from Thala how to leave balls outside off-stump,” he posted.

Earlier, stand-in India captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and elected to bat after regular skipper Rohit Sharma ‘opted to rest’ from the game. Shubman Gill returned to the playing XI, while pacer Prasidh Krishna was included in the playing eleven for the first time in the series.

Australia debuted all-rounder Beau Webster, who replaced an off-colour Mitchell Marsh. Webster received his Baggy Green from former player Mark Waugh. India needs to win the Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while Australia need just a draw for a series win. The hosts lead the series 2-1.