Bangladesh analyst hailed by Tamim Iqbal after orchestrating Kohli’s dismissal
Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has credited the team's analyst for the early dismissal of Virat Kohli on Day 1 of the opening Test in Chennai. Kohli, returning to Test cricket on home soil for the first time in over a year, managed to score just six runs before being sent back to the pavilion. The dismissal, according to Tamim, showcased the Bangladeshi analyst's tactical brilliance.
Kohli, who had not played a Test in India since March 2023, was expected to make a strong comeback in front of the home crowd at the M. Chidambaram Stadium.
The anticipation was palpable as the former Indian skipper walked to the crease amidst loud cheers. However, his time at the wicket was short-lived.
Reflecting on the dismissal, Tamim, speaking during the lunch break on Sports18, said, "Virat's been away from Test cricket for a while, so naturally he would want to feel the ball early on. Every batter goes through that. We all understand that sometimes you just want to make contact with the ball. The area where he got out has been troublesome for him in the past, and this dismissal really made our analyst look like a magician."
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Kohli's dismissal came courtesy of a delivery from Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahmud. The bowler sent down a well-pitched delivery outside the off-stump that tempted Kohli into a drive. The ball found the edge of his bat, and wicketkeeper Litton Das took a clean catch. It marked Hasan's third wicket of the morning, leaving India in a precarious position at 68 for 3 before lunch.
India's captain, Rohit Sharma, was visibly displeased as his side found themselves under pressure early in the match. Kohli's dismissal was a key moment in the first session, one that drew mixed reactions from the Indian camp.
Former Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, who was part of the same broadcast, added his thoughts on Kohli's dismissal. "Tamim mentioned it, and he's right. Virat has been out of the Test scene for 556 days in India. When you're returning after such a long break, you tend to want to feel the ball on the bat, and that can sometimes lead to these kinds of mistakes," Patel remarked.
Patel went on to suggest that Kohli's eagerness to play the ball, combined with Bangladesh's well-executed plan, led to the premature dismissal. "He was trying to find his rhythm, but the opposition read him well. In the second innings, we might see him leaving those deliveries outside off-stump. That's the thing with long breaks—you're just a bit off. But if that ball had found the middle of the bat, we could have been talking about a very different innings," Patel concluded.
The highly anticipated first Test is expected to feature more of Kohli, but for now, Bangladesh's strategy and execution, particularly the role of their analyst, have drawn praise from both sides.
