On a scorching Saturday, the fourth and final Border Gavaskar Trophy Test match between India and Australia at Motera was marked by a lack of action. Despite the flat pitch refusing to deteriorate and offer any assistance to the bowlers, the Indian team managed to comfortably score runs, with opener Shubman Gill leading the way with a brave Test century.
Other notable contributions came from Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma, while captain Virat Kohli, who had not scored a half-century in Test cricket for more than a year, reached the milestone and remained not out on 51 at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja was on 5, and the team’s total was 269/3. Amid Kohli’s relatively uneventful innings, a noteworthy incident occurred between him and Australian skipper Steve Smith, momentarily shifting the focus away from the match.
As the 87th over came to an end, the umpires signaled for a drinks break. In the sweltering heat, a visibly fatigued Virat Kohli wasted no time in removing his gloves and helmet, and sat down to quench his thirst. As Kohli refreshed himself, Steve Smith, known for his passion for batting, couldn’t help but notice a selection of bats placed next to him, presumably for Kohli to choose from.
Curious, Smith approached Kohli and crouched beside him to strike up a conversation. The two were soon deeply engrossed in discussion, with Smith even taking up his bat for a spot of shadow batting. Amidst laughter and banter, Kohli even showed Smith the finer details of his bat, while in the background, Mitchell Starc and Mohammed Sitaj engaged in their own humorous exchange.
Upon the batter’s return to the crease, Marnus Labuschagne also joined in on the conversation, making it a heartwarming moment for cricket fans amidst an otherwise tedious day. Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik, commenting from the box, disclosed that all the batsmen cherished their bats deeply.
