Watch: Mitchell Johnson vs Virat Kohli the Tussle and hat-trick of fours

By Ankit Mishra

Updated - 29 Dec 2014, 00:43 IST

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3 Min Read

Watch: Mitchell Johnson vs Virat Kohli the Tussle and hat-trick of fours: India were up for a huge task on day 3 of the third test at the MCG. Australia had put up a mammoth 530 on board with a big hundred from their skipper Steve Smith and yet another significant effort from their tail. India had already lost Shikhar Dhawan on day 2 and yet again disappointing was the manner in which Chetshwar Pujara got in and then got out early morning. Vijay who was looking set for yet another Monkish innings departed as well and all of a sudden the Indian team looked in trouble.
With two new batsmen in at the crease, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane had the job of sailing as well as steadying this ship under storm. The bowlers were running in hard, making the batsmen duck, hop, tumble and nervy with their disciplined and attacking bowling.

Mitchell Johnson is not only the leader of this particular pace attack but in all, leading the international chart as well. Johnson was kept wicket less and quire rest less as well. The manner, approach and INTENT with which these two batted pushed the opposition to the wall. When the batsmen made an odd mistake the fielders fumbled.

Mitch was no where close to his best, he was unable to produce a ball that could get the better of either Kohli or Rahane and India was looking solid at 279 for the loss of 3 wickets and both the batsmen set at 84 and 74 respectively. Johnson bowled another straightish delivery, Kohli pushed it straight down and it went directly towards the bowler, who in turn darted the ball back aiming at Virat rather than the wickets.

The throw was unproductive, he was safely inside his batting crease and completely unnecessary, Kohli got hit on his waist and hip region that took him down on all fours. Though he was quick to gather himself up and went towards his batting partner.

If this was not all there was a heated exchange in the break between the overs as well and Kohli later on confirmed in the media interaction that the Aussies called him a spoilt brat, also that he likes those challenges and that they don’t seem to be learning their lesson.

This ruffled up the otherwise composed Kohli a bit and suddenly the vulnerability appeared. He was living dangerously, edging, charging, miscued the ball but luck favoured him and he somehow survived. What followed thereafter was another change in character from a well paced knock to a one filled with dominating shots. Suddenly Virat Kohli wanted to thump his authority and someone who has the level of talent and skill that he possess surely can do that. Soon he reached his third hundred on tour and Johnson retuned for another spell what promised to be a hostile spell of short pitch, body line bowling.

But it was not his day and Virat was in a completely different horizon, three back to back short balls almost head hight, predetermined to return the charge Kohli took them head on and dispatched all the three to the fence. One better pull shot from the other and that too with a fielder to cut down the shot, all he could do was helplessly dive around and see the ball race towards the fence.

Watch how Virat Kohli smashed Mitchell Johnson for a hat-trick of fours:

This is a taste of something similar for Johnson, his sledging of Virat completely back fired and though towards the closing end of the day he got the centurion caught behind, it was Virat Kohli’s day at the MCG today.

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