India and Australia are all set to lock horns in the 1st T20I of the three-match series staring Tuesday in Mohali. The series opener will be played at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium in Mohali.
Ahead of the first match, all eyes are on Virat Kohli, who comes into the contest riding high on confidence from his run in the Asia Cup 2022. The star batter, however, was seen showing a different side of his cricketing skills during the practice session before the first T20I. In the pictures shared by PCA on social media, Kohli can be seen rolling his arms for bowling in the nets.
Look who’s opening bowling tomorrow #IndvsAus @imVkohli @BCCI #viratkohli #virat #kohli #cricket #fans #TeamIndia #India pic.twitter.com/bR2W9mqZD9
— Punjab Cricket Association (@pcacricket) September 19, 2022
Kohli, who is a right-arm medium pacer, was seen bowling at the international level after six years during the encounter against Hong Kong in Asia Cup. he bowled one over while giving just six runs in the match.
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But it’s the batting form of Kohli that was the key highlight in the multi-nation tournament for India. He scored 276 runs in five innings at an stunning average of 92.
Kohli also notched up his much-awaited 71st international ton against Afghanistan, ending his ton trough that lasted nearly three years.
Kohli finished the innings with an unbeaten 122 off just 61 deliveries. This included 12 boundaries and six maximums. The star batter would be looking to carry forward his form in the T20I series at home against Australia and South Africa before going into the T20 World Cup next month.
The first of the three-match T20I series against Australia will be played at Mohali tonight. The match is likely to see the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel to international cricket after recovering from injuries. The series will be a good opportunity for the Indian side to test their combination ahead of the marquee event.
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Meanwhile, Kohli is just 207 runs away from becoming the second-highest run-getter for the India team (across formats). If he’s able to get these runs during the series against Australia and South Africa at home, he will replace India coach Rahul Dravid in the tally.
Currently, Kohli has has 24,002 runs in 468 matches at the international level and an average of 53.81.
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