'I don’t think Virat Kohli would have played that shot if he wasn’t near a personal landmark' - Sunil Gavaskar questions Kohli's shot selection in WTC Final run chase

In the coveted ICC World Test Championship final, Australia showed complete domination to trump India by 209 runs to become the new world champions in Tests. Though, team India showed some fightback on day 4 while chasing a mammoth target of 444 runs, as they finished the day with 164/3 on the board. But on the final day, the Aussie bowlers kept it tight leading top batters to play a rash shot.

As a result, India's mainstay, Virat Kohli, started cautiously but shortly after he became the first victim of the day. Scott Boland continued his precision bowling, thereby forcing Kohli to go after a delivery outside the off stump in an attempt to release the pressure. But to his dismay, Kohli ended up getting a thick edge in the slip cordon where Steve Smith grabbed a screamer to end India's hopes of chasing a world record target.

Edged & taken , Kohli gone , well taken by Steve smith #ICCWorldTestChampionship #final #Australia #india #cricket #England #kohli #SteveSmith #boland pic.twitter.com/aAkEFpW68k

— 𝐋𝐍𝐄 𝐙𝐔𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐑 (@NeZubair) June 11, 2023

In the same vein, the former India legend, Sunil Gavaskar, questioned Virat Kohli's mindset and shot selection against the Australia pacer, Scott Boland. Notably, in the 47th over of India's run chase, Kohli played a rash shot to throw away his precious wicket to the Aussies.

"I don’t think Virat Kohli would have played that shot if he wasn’t near a personal landmark," Gavaskar said while on air in the commentary box.

Given the match situation, India were staring down the barrel and needed Kohli to dig in and stitch a big partnership to inch closer to the mammoth target. However, with the approach Indian batters took, the match got over in the first session itself.

Australia thrash India by 209 runs to claim the ICC World Test Championship

Speaking of the match, post Virat Kohli's dismissal, the hero of the first innings Ajinkya Rahane, tried to extend his stay on the crease to save the game for India. However, in the 56th over of India's innings, Rahane tried to continue with what he did during his knock since morning. Mitchell Starc bowled on the sixth stump line and was tempted to drive on the up only to find an edge for an easy catch for the Aussie wicketkeeper, Alex Carey.

Thereafter, no other batter showed any resistance to Australia's bowling and wickets fell in quick succession. This meant that India got folded for 234 runs to suffer another defeat in the final of the WTC.