The terrifying bouncer! When Mitchell Johnson hit Virat Kohli on the helmet with a bouncer, Australian fielders came from everywhere. Mental disintegration had gone, replaced by the cricket unity. Two teams, one family. Kohli is hit by a delivery from Johnson. Mitchell Johnson walks down to Virat Kohli. His head is leaning to one side. Hes trying to see underneath the helmet. Hes trying to see if Virat is okay. His walk is quick and worried. There is no aggression. Its the same walk someone has after causing a traffic accident. He needs to get down there. He needs to know Virat is okay. Johnsons eyes arent fixed on a terrifying stare, theyre terrified. **** Wooooooooaaaaaaah. James Brayshaw practically howling. He loses himself in commentary, he is paid to be loud and blokey. Struck. Hes barking excitedly. Right on the helmet. But then Brayshaw realises the moment. This isnt a just another accurate bouncer. Brayshaw tries to dial back, its not three weeks earlier, its 63* time. Brayshaws commentary is echoed throughout the crowd. Woah, then quickly silenced. By the time the ball hits the ground its already going silent. It feels like you can hear the ball hit the ground, this heavy thud. Its the last noise that registers for a while. **** Kohli wasnt hit by a demon ball. It wasnt the shortest ball in the over, or the quickest. The ball to dismiss M Vijay was 89.3mph. The ball that hit Kohli was the same. The last ball of the over that Cheteshwar Pujara pulled for one was quicker, shorter and straighter. Kohli just got it wrong. Really wrong. Batsmen have been getting it wrong a lot. The helmet generation dont watch the ball. They dont get out of the way. The dont play it well. They dont leave it well. They just brace and hope. They have more padding and protection than any players before them, but they make it unsafe by doing the one thing that really saves you, never taking your eye off it. Johnsons ball pitches short outside leg stump. Kohli is shuffling across and forward. He starts to squat down. But the ball isnt that short. Had he stayed up, it would have been barely chest height. Instead its badge height. His eyes are down, the ball just goes straight for him while he attempts the bouncer foetal position. The peak of the helmet is flicked. The badge is smashed. The ball trickles down his body and lands at his feet. The helmet covers his eyes. **** Australian fielders turn up from everywhere. Chris Rogers puts a hand on him. So does David Warner. Brad Haddin comes in as well. Kohli is surrounded by Australian fielders. The same fielders that Faf Du Plessis referred to as a pack of dogs. The same men who then howled at du Plessis like wild dogs. The same men who told James Anderson to prepare for a broken f***** arm. The same men; but not the same. They stood around for support, not for sledging. The arms werent broken, they were rubbed. Mental disintegration had gone, it was replaced by the cricket unity. Two teams, one family. **** Johnson makes his way back to the boundary. He is a wicket taker, on a flat pitch; the crowd would usually celebrate this with rapturous applause as he got closer. Instead there are a few claps, but the wicket isnt on peoples mind. Johnson hitting the badge is. The crowd is still on mute. **** Give him another one yells someone in the crowd. **** Virat Kohli had his helmet off for all of six seconds. He was shaken up; his head was hit by something at 90 miles per hour. He was surrounded by well wishers. Worried looks from each and everyone of of them. But, had the same thing happened, and Johnson gone straight back to his mark, Kohli might have been ready to face without any delay. That couldnt happen, not for this hit, not at this time. Kohli pushes away Pujara. Kohli nodded at Clarke. Kohli waves the umpires back. Maybe he was in shock. Maybe he was trying to posture. Maybe he didnt want to be seen as the victim. Kohli is hard. By the time Johnson had turned to walk back, it was clear which man was more shaken. **** The next ball was three miles quicker. The same line. The same length. Virat plays it fine. **** Johnson turns, and despite the fact that Kohli is okay, Johnson is not. Clarke runs over to ruffle his hair. Then puts his hands on his shoulders. Johnson looks like someone who has just seen something he shouldnt have. He tries to act busy, walk past Clarke. A stop at the crease to check his footmarks. Maybe trying to trick himself into forgetting the last ball. The last fortnight. All of it. The ball before he tapped the 408 on his shirt. He couldnt forget. It was in his eyes. It is on his face. It was on his mind. It is on his mind. Mitchell walks back to his mark. It feels like a long hard walk. It was. It is..... espn.go/video/clip?id=cric:54890f3be4b07cb6ceac55c4 ~ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 07:24:30 +0000