IND v AUS 2020: 5 Australian wrist-spinners who have dismissed Virat Kohli in T20I cricket

For the first time in a very long time, Australia fielded two wrist-spinners - Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson - in their playing XI for the 1st T20I against India.

The move paid off fairly well, and although the latter was expensive in the 2 overs that he bowled, he managed to scalp the prized wicket of Virat Kohli.

The Indian skipper has been dismissed by leg-spin quite a few times in the recent past, and a little bit of research reveals that as many as five Aussie wrist-spinners have sent him back to the dugout in T20I cricket.

Here are the 5 Australian wrist-spinners who've dismissed Virat Kohli in T20I cricket (in chronological order).

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#5 Brad Hogg - 1st T20I, 2012, Sydney

Brad Hogg

In Virat Kohli's first-ever T20I against Australia, he was dismissed by Brad Hogg for a 21-ball 22.

The wily left-arm leg-spinner, who was playing his first international game in a very long time, dropped one short in the 7th over. Virat Kohli rocked back and attempted to clear the boundary with a pull, but mistimed it straight to David Warner at long-on.

India faltered in their chase of 172, eventually falling short by as many as 31 runs. Matthew Wade was the Man of the Match for his 43-ball 72 in the first innings.

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#4 James Muirhead - T20 World Cup, 2014,Dhaka

James Muirhead

India brushed aside oppositions on their way to the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup, where they lost to Sri Lanka. One of the team they steamrolled in the group stage was Australia.

Virat Kohli, who came in to bat in the very first over, fell for a 22-ball 23 at the hands of James Muirhead, who has played only 5 T20Is for Australia till date. The Delhi batsman was again dismissed in the 7th over, with a flighted delivery teasing him into holing out at long-off.

India easily defended their score of 159 by bowling out the Aussies for just 86. Ravichandran Ashwin, who registered figures of 4/11, was adjudged the Man of the Match.

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#3 Cameron Boyce - 3rd T20I, 2016, Sydney

Cameron Boyce

In the 1st T20I of India's tour of Australia in 2016, Cameron Boyce sent Virat Kohli back to the hut for a 36-ball 50.

The current Indian captain danced down the track, but was deceived by the flight. He saw the ball cannon back onto the stumps after taking a bit of both bat and pad, but India got home in their chase of 198 off the last ball of the innings.

Although his team ended up on the losing side, Shane Watson won the Man of the Match award for his blistering century.

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#2 Adam Zampa - 1st T20I, 2018, Brisbane & 1st T20I, 2019, Vishakhapatnam

Adam Zampa

Adam Zampa has held the wood over Virat Kohli of late. The Aussie leggie first scalped Kohli's wicket in T20I cricket in the 1st game of India's tour of Australia back in 2018.

Zampa had the 32-year-old on a leash, conceding just 1 run in 5 balls and forcing him to step out. Virat Kohli failed to get to the pitch of the ball, and top-edged a top-spinner to short third-man for just 4 off 8 balls.

Australia won a rain-shortened game by 4 runs, and Zampa received the Man of the Match award for his spell of 2/22.

The second instance of the 28-year-old dismissing Virat Kohli came in 2019, in the 1st T20I at Vishakhapatnam.

The Indian skipper came down the track once again in attempt to take Zampa on, and although he got to the pitch of the ball this time, he found the fielder at long-on. Virat Kohli was dismissed for 24 off 17, and Australia chased down their sub-par 126-run total off the final ball.

Nathan Coulter-Nile was named the Man of the Match for his 3-wicket haul.

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#1 Mitchell Swepson - 1st T20I, 2020, Canberra

Australia v India - T20 Game 1

The latest installment in Virat Kohli's struggles against leg-spinners saw Mitchell Swepson sent the Indian captain back to the hut for just 9 runs in the 1st T20I against Australia.

A short ball held up in the pitch a touch, with Kohli chipping it back to the bowler in meek fashion. India's total of 161 was defended with relative ease, as 3-fors from Yuzvendra Chahal and T Natarajan dented the Aussie chase.

Chahal, who came on as a concussion substitute, was adjudged the Man of the Match.