- Thursday, April 03, 2025
The South Africa captain was dismissed twice in a single day in his final Test.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA batter Virat Kohli might be known for his on-field aggression but there have also been instances in international games when the 35-year-old was seen embracing opponents. One such moment was seen at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Wednesday (3) when India locked horns with hosts South Africa on the first day of the second Test of a two-game series.
It happened in the 11th over of South Africa’s second innings after a carnage saw both teams getting all out inside 60 overs on a lively wicket. The home team did well to bowl out the visitors for 153, taking their last six wickets for no run, after they themselves were skittled out for 55, thanks to a fiery show by pacer Mohammed Siraj who picked six wickets for only 15 runs.
The Proteas openers — Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar — started the proceedings cautiously, trying to erase the 98-run deficit in the first innings. They added 37 runs when seamer Mukesh Kumar dismissed Elgar, the captain, who edged the delivery to Kohli in the slips on his personal score of 12. It was the second time that Elgar got out in a day and it also marked the end of his Test career as it was his farewell outing.
Read: India lose last 6 wickets for no run after bundling out SA for 55 in second Test
Virat Kohli requested no celebration for Elgar's wicket and gave him a farewell hug#ViratKohli #IndvsSa #SAvINDpic.twitter.com/s302VbSdQ3
— Ayush ? (@ayriick_) January 3, 2024
Kohli gestured towards the dressing room, bowing down and blowing a kiss over the dismissal of the 36-year-old Elgar, who scored a match-winning 185 in the first Test in Centurion and troubled India in the past. He and his teammates then cut short the celebrations and gave a farewell to the Proteas batter. Kohli, in fact, hugged the batter who was also given a standing ovation by the spectators at the venue.
Read: India decimate SA in 1st innings as Mohammed Siraj picks 6 for 15
It was at the same ground during a Test match in 2022 that Kohli had taken a sarcastic jibe at Elgar, who was batting well in that series. Both Kohli and Elgar were captaining their respective sides in that series.
Elgar has been South Africa’s stand-in captain in the two Tests after regular captain Temba Bavuma injured himself in the first Test.
Kohli was also seen making a similar gesture during the 50-over World Cup in England in 2019 when the Indian spectators booed Australia batter Steven Smith over the ball-tampering incident of 2018. Kohli expressed his disappointment at the fans and asked them to cheer the batter instead, a gesture that was acknowledged by Smith himself.
