Australian fast bowler Xavier Bartlett found himself under fire from passionate Virat Kohli fans following his dismissal of the Indian cricket star for a duck in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval. Bartlett, aged 26, bowled Kohli out without scoring, marking Kohli’s second consecutive duck in the ongoing series.
This rare occurrence of Kohli being dismissed for a duck in back-to-back innings during his ODI career sparked a wave of online backlash from disgruntled fans directed at Bartlett, who faced criticism on his Instagram account. The tense match ended in a two-wicket victory for Australia, with Bartlett’s crucial wicket of Kohli adding fuel to the online uproar.
Kohli’s gesture of waving goodbye to the crowd as he departed only fueled speculation on social media about his potential retirement from ODI cricket. Bartlett, who boasts a following of over 22,000 on Instagram, saw his latest post, a picture with Kohli from the IPL, attract more than 4,400 comments, many of which were mocking in nature, with some fans jokingly referring to Kohli as Bartlett’s “father.”
The situation mirrored the online abuse received by Australian bowler Mitchell Starc when he dismissed Kohli for a duck in a previous match. Despite the negative attention, Bartlett received significant support from his teammates and the broader cricket community, condemning the harassment he faced.
In a post-match interview, Bartlett remained modest about his achievement, acknowledging Kohli’s legendary status in the sport. He described the dismissal as a stroke of luck, attributing it to an unexpected movement of the ball that caught Kohli off guard early in his innings.
Kohli’s consecutive ducks in the series represent a rare occurrence in his ODI career, with this being only the second time he has been dismissed without scoring on Australian soil. The Indian captain, who has retired from Test and T20 cricket, will have a final chance to regain form in the upcoming third ODI at the SCG.
Despite Rohit Sharma’s resilient 73 runs in the second match, India fell short by two wickets, losing the series. Sharma’s innings anchored India’s total of 264 for 9, which was insufficient for a competitive score. The defeat has reignited discussions about the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav, a proven match-winner, from the playing XI.
The outcome of the match reflects India’s struggles, raising questions about the team’s performance and strategy going forward.