The Indian top order got off to a disastrous start in response to Australia's first innings score of 469. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli all perished to the Australian pacers. While Gill and Pujara departed in embarrassing fashion, falling to read the line as the ball came swinging back to find the stumps, Kohli was caught behind in the slips. Kohli was caught by surprise by the sudden bounce from a lethal Mitchel Starc delivery, which forced the thin edge.
Kohli's departure left India in a precarious position of 71/4, with the Australian quicks spitting fire. The disastrous performance by the Indian top order caught the ire of Indian fans. Following their departure to the pavilion, a picture went viral on social media that showed Kohli and Shubman Gill helping themselves to a meal and having a conversation. The image was not received well by the Indian fans, who criticised the players as a lack of care.
"This is Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill chilling and laughing after throwing their wickets and leaving India in trouble in the Final of an ICC tournament, but somehow their fans will blame IPL for their bad performances, where they clearly don't seem to care much about Indian cricket team," tweeted a fan.
"Its really disappointing, its hard hitting for indian cricket fans," tweeted another.
Here area a few of the reactions:
Indian top-order's averages in England
Rohit Sharma - 40.08
Virat Kohli - 32.71
Cheteshwar Pujara - 29.06
Shubman Gill - 14.00
While the batting averages of India's top-order in England may not be disastrous, they also fail to inspire unwavering confidence. With the exception of Shubman Gill, who has participated in only three Test matches in the UK, the remaining players have previously toured England at least once. However, their past experiences have not been entirely smooth sailing, as they have encountered their fair share of challenges while competing in the country.
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