"You make such mistakes when you are double-minded" - Harbhajan Singh on Virat Kohli's dismissal in BGT 2024-25 2nd Test

Harbhajan Singh noted that Virat Kohli's indecisiveness contributed to his dismissal in India's first innings of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He pointed out that the former India skipper was double-minded about whether to play or leave the delivery.

Kohli scored seven runs off eight deliveries as India were bowled out for 180 in Adelaide on Friday, December 6. In response, Australia ended Day 1 at 86/1 in their first innings.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan was asked about his thoughts on Kohli's dismissal.

"He probably felt the ball would go above the stumps. He thought of leaving the ball and then tried to play it at the last moment. He committed a mistake there. Indecisiveness got Virat Kohli out. If he had gone wholeheartedly towards the ball, he would have played it easily," the former India spinner responded.

"Since he was indecisive about whether to leave or play, he didn't get the time to adjust, and he had to go back after getting out. You make such mistakes when you are double-minded. It was a game-changing moment," Harbhajan added.

Kohli tried to leave a Mitchell Starc delivery outside the off-stump. However, he was slightly late in withdrawing the bat and ended up nicking the ball to Steve Smith at second slip

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"The setup was excellent" - Cheteshwar Pujara on Virat Kohli's dismissal

Virat Kohli was the third of Mitchell Starc's six victims in India's first innings. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, Cheteshwar Pujara praised Mitchell Starc for planning Virat Kohli's dismissal brilliantly.

"Mitchell Starc initially brought the ball in and after that, the ball went straight after pitching. The ball Virat got out to, somewhere or the other he felt the ball could come in. The setup was excellent," he said.

The veteran India batter pointed out that the left-arm pacer deceived Kohli with a back-of-the-length that went away with the angle.

"Starc first brought the ball in from good length, and then from back of the length, where Virat has slight difficulties at the start, he bowled at that length and Virat wasn't sure whether to play that ball or not, and there only he got out," Pujara observed.

Pujara opined that Kolhli needs to leave balls based on length, just like the Australian batters have done. He added that the modern batting great would have survived had he pre-decidedly left the ball on length.