"You could see him getting a little bit itchy" - Aussie legend's huge remark as Virat Kohli bags a duck in AUS vs IND 2025 1st ODI

Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh remarked that Team India batter Virat Kohli's shaky body language suggested that he was about to be dismissed soon in the first ODI at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19. The ace player perished for an eight-ball duck on his highly anticipated return to international cricket after a seven-month absence.

Kohli, coming in at No.3, after Rohit Sharma's dismissal in the fifth over, had the intense task of surviving the new ball on a lively surface under overcast conditions against the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. The right-handed batter was thumped on the pads off his very first delivery, which was followed by a maiden over from Starc next up.

Kohli struggled to find the gaps and time the ball during his stay at the crease. He almost lost his wicket while trying to fetch a delivery from outside the off stump during the penultimate ball of the fifth over. However, he could not make much of the reprieve after the close call, as he perished on a relatively similar note soon after.

Off the very first ball of the seventh over, the legendary batter looked to take initiative against Starc in a bid to finally get off the mark. He tried to play an uppish drive against a fullish delivery going away from him, but could only get a thick outside edge, which flew towards point, where Cooper Connolly took a brilliant catch.

Following the dismissal, Mark Waugh said on air that Kohli was feeling the pressure building from the string of dot balls.

"You could almost feel that coming with the pressure building on Virat Kohli. As experienced as he is, you could see him getting a little bit itchy," Mark Waugh told Fox Cricket (via Wide World of Sports).

This marked Virat Kohli's first duck in an ODI contest in Australia, and his first since the 2023 ODI World Cup contest against England at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

Team India reeling after Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill depart in the space of two overs in AUS vs IND 2025 1st ODI

The Men in Blue, after their recent success in England, the 2025 Asia Cup, and the home Tests against the West Indies, were handed a stern wake-up call in the series opener against Australia. After a top-order failure, which included poor returns from Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma as well, the visitors were reduced to 25-3 in the ninth over.

At the time of writing, the play has been halted after a second interruption by rain. Newly appointed vice-captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel are the unbeaten batting pair as the score reads 37-3 after 11.5 overs.