IND vs SA: When Virat Kohli's wizardry got India a wicket; watch video

Virat Kohli used the old Australian trick of changing the position of the bails and it helped India break the 93-run stand between de Zorzi and Elgar in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa

Virat Kohli, the Indian maestro, showed his wizardry not with the bat in his hand or with his magical fielding skills, but by doing something unusual with the stump bails. It was after his bail-trick that India secured the wicket of Tony de Zorzi. Courtesy of this act, the 93-run stand between de Zorzi and Dean Elgar was broken.

In the 28th over, Kohli, who was fielding in the slips, walked to the non-striker’s end (for that over) after the sixth ball was bowled and removed the bails altogether. He then exchanged their positions while replacing them.

In the next over, this end became the striker’s end, and Tony de Zorzi came to bat. He was dismissed in the 29th over off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah, and the bail trick worked for Kohli and Team India.

Broad made the bail-trick famous

The bail-trick, made famous by the now-retired Stuart Broad of England during the last Ashes series, is an old Australian tactic used to break partnerships by relying on the superstition that changing the position of the bails will bring a change in fortune for the fielding team and doom for the batters at the crease.
 

Bails and Kohli in South Africa

On their last tour to the rainbow nation, Team India and then-captain Kohli were especially frustrated after the bails refused to be dislodged even though the ball hit the stumps.

Now a meme material, a picture of Kohli looking angrily and almost shouting at the bails was captured.