Kohli's aborted celebration
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the third day of the fourth Test between Australia and India in Adelaide
Sidharth Monga at Adelaide Oval
26-Jan-2012
Virat Kohli took a single to complete his century and started to celebrate before realising there was at least one more run to be taken • Getty Images
The replay
Gautam Gambhir's tour has been full of replays. His first three dismissals were near identical, poking on or around off, and edging to the keeper or the slips. In his fourth innings of the series, Gambhir fought that tendency, but in his sixth innings of the series he found a new way to get out: short ball, at the chin, fended away to gully. In the seventh innings, which was today, he provided a replay of the new dismissal, fending in front of his neck, lobbing the ball to gully.
Gautam Gambhir's tour has been full of replays. His first three dismissals were near identical, poking on or around off, and edging to the keeper or the slips. In his fourth innings of the series, Gambhir fought that tendency, but in his sixth innings of the series he found a new way to get out: short ball, at the chin, fended away to gully. In the seventh innings, which was today, he provided a replay of the new dismissal, fending in front of his neck, lobbing the ball to gully.
The stoppage
At around noon the players had to stop play for about two minutes. Not for injury, not for damage to the ball, not because of any movement behind the sight screen. The interruption was because it is Australia Day today, and the 21-gun salute at the adjacent Torrens Parade Ground was too loud.
At around noon the players had to stop play for about two minutes. Not for injury, not for damage to the ball, not because of any movement behind the sight screen. The interruption was because it is Australia Day today, and the 21-gun salute at the adjacent Torrens Parade Ground was too loud.
The stoppage, part II
It has become almost rote for the umpires to check on the no-ball every time India lose a wicket. It happened on three occasions today, after the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Wriddhiman Saha. On the first go, the bowler's foot was just in, and on the next two well behind the crease. The crowd duly booed those stoppages.
It has become almost rote for the umpires to check on the no-ball every time India lose a wicket. It happened on three occasions today, after the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Wriddhiman Saha. On the first go, the bowler's foot was just in, and on the next two well behind the crease. The crowd duly booed those stoppages.
The replay, part II
In his first innings in Test cricket, Saha shouldered arms to a reverse-swinging Dale Steyn in Nagpur, and found his off stump had been pegged back. Now playing a proper Test - as a wicketkeeper-batsman and not as someone forced to play as a specialist batsman because the squad didn't have another batsman - Saha has impressed everybody with his keeping. With the bat, too, he got stuck in, added 114 with Virat Kohli, but at the stroke of tea he offered no stroke to the second new ball. It seamed back in, hitting the top of off, reminding you of his first dismissal.
In his first innings in Test cricket, Saha shouldered arms to a reverse-swinging Dale Steyn in Nagpur, and found his off stump had been pegged back. Now playing a proper Test - as a wicketkeeper-batsman and not as someone forced to play as a specialist batsman because the squad didn't have another batsman - Saha has impressed everybody with his keeping. With the bat, too, he got stuck in, added 114 with Virat Kohli, but at the stroke of tea he offered no stroke to the second new ball. It seamed back in, hitting the top of off, reminding you of his first dismissal.
The celebration
When Kohli pierced the field on 99, his celebrations were of pure release and relief after the pressure he has been under. In all that he forgot he had hit it well enough to take about three. In the middle of his celebrations the realisation dawned. He aborted the festivities, took the second, and leapt in the air again. India's only centurion on the tour can be pardoned that much.
When Kohli pierced the field on 99, his celebrations were of pure release and relief after the pressure he has been under. In all that he forgot he had hit it well enough to take about three. In the middle of his celebrations the realisation dawned. He aborted the festivities, took the second, and leapt in the air again. India's only centurion on the tour can be pardoned that much.
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo