IND vs AUS 2nd ODI: Virat Kohli Registers Unwanted First For First Time In History With Consecutive Ducks

IND vs AUS 2nd ODI: Virat Kohli, widely regarded as one of the finest batters in one-day international history, endured a rare setback on Thursday (October 23) when he recorded back-to-back ducks in ODIs for the first time in his illustrious career.

The Indian star's lean patch continued in the ongoing second ODI against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, where he was dismissed without scoring after facing just four deliveries.

Coming in at No. 3 after an early wicket, Kohli's stay at the crease was cut short by Australian pacer Xavier Bartlett, who trapped him leg-before on the fifth ball of the seventh over. The dismissal came as a disappointment for Indian fans, who had hoped for a strong response following his rare failure in Perth earlier this week. In that match - the series opener at Optus Stadium on October 19 - Kohli had also fallen for a duck after facing eight balls.

The back-to-back zeroes mark an unfamiliar phase for the prolific right-hander, who has long been a model of consistency in the 50-over format. What makes the sequence even more surprising is Kohli's outstanding record at the Adelaide Oval - one of his favourite grounds. In his previous two ODI appearances at the venue, he scored centuries: 107 against Pakistan in the 2015 World Cup and 104 against Australia in 2019.

Thursday's dismissal was Kohli's 18th duck in ODIs, placing him third among Indian players with the most zeroes in the format. Only Sachin Tendulkar (20) and Javagal Srinath (19) have more ducks for India in ODIs.

Globally, the unwanted record for the most ducks in one-day cricket is held by Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya, who failed to score in 34 of his 445 ODI innings between 1989 and 2011. Pakistan's Shahid Afridi ranks second on that list with 30 ducks in 398 ODIs.
For Kohli, these rare consecutive dismissals are likely to serve as fuel for redemption - and fans will expect the champion batter to bounce back swiftly when India take the field for the final ODI in Sydney.