Virat Kohli utterly surprised with Keshav Maharaj's sharp turn

When India captain Virat Kohli is around, gesturing is hard to miss. The 30-year-old has found himself embracing controversies with his on-field gesturing quite a number of times. The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune witnessed a similar act from the Indian captain on Friday – Day 2 – of the second Test though it was more about a pleasant surprise than agony.

Kohli slammed his first hundred in Tests in 2019 during the day and remained unbeaten on 254 as India put up a mammoth total of 601 for 5 to declare. The South African bowlers had no answer whatsoever to the Indian captain’s plundering mood and he went to make a plethora of records and even eclipsed the likes of the legendary Sir Donald Bradman.

The only time the Proteas had an upper hand over Kohli was when newcomer left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy got him out in a no-ball. However, Kohli was utterly surprised by the turn and bounce that the South African spinners got and his facial expression said it all.

The official Instagram account of the Indian cricket team put up a video showing Kohli’s bizarre reaction to a bowl that was delivered by the other spinner in the South African ranks, Keshav Maharaj, who picked his 100th Test wicket in the innings, as he looked at his batting partner Ravindra Jadeja.

The ball bounced awkwardly and missed everything. In the video posted on the social media account, the Indian team even asked the fans to caption Kohli’s surprise gesture.

Here’s Kohli’s surprise gesture

Kohli was perhaps pleased that India too have some good spinners

Kohli’s surprise was perhaps also a pleasant one since he also has a couple of lethal spinners in Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. Jadeja is also a left-arm spinner like Maharaj and Muthusamy and Kohli was feeling elated that India will be bowling on the deteriorating pitch.

Though all the three wickets that SA lost towards the end of Day 2 went to the pacers, Jadeja did not concede a single run in the four overs that he bowled. Ashwin was still to come to the attack. The Indian team will be eagerly looking to its specialist spinners and the supporting ones to make the most of the wicket to force a series win in this game.

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