'Has he ever walked?': Kohli's bad habit angers fans

Indian cricket fans are fed up with Virat Kohli after the skipper was once again unsuccessful with an lbw review against the West Indies in the second Test.

Kohli, sitting on 45 with India 3-162 in reply to the tourists’ 311, was trapped by Jason Holder and deemed out leg before by Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford.

The Indian captain shocked nobody when he asked to take it upstairs.

Hawk-Eye showed the ball clipping leg stump, maintaining the umpire’s decision of out.

But while India did not lose their review thanks to Hawk-Eye’s ‘umpire’s call’ signal, Kohli’s gamble put the fans offside.

Kohli has been out lbw in Test cricket 10 times since the beginning of 2017 – the last nine times, he reviewed the umpire’s decision and remained out.

The reasons why he reviews so often are obvious: he is the team’s captain and best batsman.

However, is there a reason why he has refused to accept the umpire’s call?

The last time he was trapped and did not review, against Bangladesh in February 2017, replays showed he was hit outside the line of off stump.

Whatever the logic behind his attempts, Indian cricket supporters have had enough:

India set for solid advantage against West Indies

Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant hit contrasting half-centuries to put India on course for a sizeable first-innings lead against the West Indies in the second Test on Saturday.

The hosts were 308 for four at stumps, trailing the West Indies by three runs after Rahane, 75, and Pant, 85, put together an unbeaten 146-run fifth-wicket stand in Hyderabad.

Paceman Umesh Yadav also played a part in India’s dominance with career-best figures of 6-88 that helped bowl out the West Indies for 311 early in the morning session.

In reply, India were in trouble at 162-4 with West Indies skipper Jason Holder taking two wickets, including his counterpart Virat Kohli’s prized scalp in the afternoon session.

But the right-left batting combination of Rahane and Pant then ensured a wicketless final session.

Rahane played a cautious knock to register his 15th Test fifty while Pant was his swashbuckling self, hitting 10 fours and two big sixes in 120 balls.

It was Pant’s second successive 50-plus score after his 92 in India’s first Test victory at Rajkot.

“We have two set batsmen… Very heartening to see the way Rishabh and Ajinkya have approached the innings because both have been patient and very disciplined,” India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar told reporters.

“Ideally if we can bat another two sessions we will be in a great position.”

Teenage opener Prithvi Shaw also smashed 70 off 53 balls as India mounted a strong reply, only to lose to their way after lunch.

Shaw fell to left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican after hitting 11 fours and a six and Pujara went for 10 in the very next over off paceman Shannon Gabriel.

Kohli tried to steady the innings with some fluent strokeplay as he built a 60-run partnership with Rahane but was denied what could have been his 20th Test fifty.

with AFP