Virat Kohli brutally sledges Australian star during Adelaide Test: 'He's clueless!'

New Delhi: During Day 1 of the 2nd Test in Adelaide on Friday, Australian opener Nathan McSweeney found himself on the receiving end of some fierce sledging from Virat Kohli. Kohli's sharp words came late in the final session when Jasprit Bumrah bowled a sensational delivery that narrowly missed McSweeney's inside edge. Capitalizing on the moment, Kohli went up to the young batsman and taunted, "He's got no clue! He's got no clue, Jass (Bumrah)," with his words clearly picked up by the stump mic. The video of this incident has spread like wildfire on social media platforms.

Always in the game, always in the ear!

ICYMI @imVkohli’s stump mic gold from the ongoing #PinkBallTest! #AUSvINDOnStar 2nd Test LIVE NOW on Star Sports! #AUSvIND | #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/9zuqd3hdAb

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 6, 2024

Despite the sledging, Nathan McSweeney remained composed and went into the day’s end unbeaten on 38. The 25-year-old, playing his first game in Adelaide, had struggled in the series opener with scores of 10 and 0. But he looked more settled this time, batting alongside Marnus Labuschagne (20). Australia reached 86/1 by stumps, trailing India’s first-innings total of 180 by 94 runs.

Earlier, India was sent back in the pavilion just before tea after winning the toss and opting to bat. Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler for Australia as he caused significant damage to the Indian lineup. He finished with career-best Test figures of 6 for 48, leading the charge for Australia.

“It’s been my role for a while to attack the stumps and try and make early inroads. Good way to start a Test. A good day all up. To finish the day just one down… to fight through that sustained pressure from a quality bowling attack is fantastic,” Starc told the reporters.

“I thought Australia did well, they set us up nicely with some of the dismissals, but also I don’t think 86-1 is a true reflection of how we bowled,” said India bowling coach Morne Morkel.

“I know the score looks like a big gap between the two teams, but we still feel we’re in the game.”

Jasprit Bumrah was the sole wicket-taker for India so far, as Australia lost opener Usman Khawaja.