Mark Waugh on Virat Kohli’s Perth Dismissal: “You Could Almost Feel It Coming”

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October 19, 2025 0 46

Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck in his return to international cricket as Mark Waugh felt his downfall was inevitable under pressure in Perth.

Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh observed that Virat Kohli’s body language hinted at an early dismissal during the first ODI at Optus Stadium, Perth, on Sunday, October 19. Kohli was dismissed for an eight-ball duck in his highly anticipated return to international cricket after a seven-month break. Waugh pointed out the difficulties even seasoned batters face when returning to top-level cricket, especially against a world-class pace attack in testing conditions.

Kohli came in to bat at No. 3 after Rohit Sharma’s early dismissal in the fifth over, tasked with steadying the innings on a lively Perth surface under overcast skies. Facing Australia’s pace pair Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, Kohli was immediately put under pressure. His first ball struck him on the pads, and Starc followed with a maiden over that further tightened the grip.

The 36-year-old found it tough to find gaps or time the ball during his brief stay. In the penultimate delivery of the fifth over, he nearly lost his wicket trying to play outside the off stump but survived narrowly. However, that survival didn’t last long.

“You could almost feel his dismissal coming with the pressure building on Virat Kohli. As experienced as he is, you could see him getting a little bit itchy,” Waugh told Fox Cricket during the game.

Kohli’s dismissal came off the first ball of the seventh over when he tried to take on Starc in an attempt to get off the mark. He went for an uppish drive at a full delivery moving away but only managed a thick outside edge to point, where Cooper Connolly took a fine catch.

The dismissal marked Kohli’s first-ever duck in an ODI in Australia and his first overall since the 2023 ODI World Cup against England at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.