Watch: Virat Kohli's 'Magic' Bail Trick Helps India Break Big Partnership in Centurion

India needed a little bit of ‘magic’ to break the big partnership between Dean Elgar and Tony de Zorzi during the second session of Day 2 of their ongoing Test against South Africa in Centurion.

With Elgar playing a strokeful innings and De Zorzi dropping anchor, South Africa recovered from an early jolt after bowling out India for 245 in their first innings.

Mohammed Siraj struck for India when he had opener Aiden Markram caught behind for 5. However, Elgar led a strong fightback hitting a brisk fifty while adding 93 runs for the second wicket.

Also Read: Rabada Reveals How He Got the Better of Kohli

With the momentum shifting firmly towards South Africa, Virat Kohli resorted to the old bail-trick which came into the limelight earlier this year during Ashes 2023 in England.

Kohli swapped the bails at the striker’s end just before the start of a fresh Jasprit Bumrah over in the second session. And the trick worked as De Zorzi immediately got an outside edge to be caught behind for 62-ball 28.

And in his next over, Bumrah had new batter Keegan Petersen drag one onto the stumps to be bowled for 2 giving India two wickets in quick succession.

During the 5th Test of the Ashes series earlier this year, Stuart Broad flipped the bails before placing them back on the top of the stumps hoping it to bring some good luck with Australia in a firm spot at 91/1 in response to England’s 283-all out.

And immediately afterwards, Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne edged to be caught. Australia slumped to 185/7 before recovering to be bowled out for 295.

“I’ve heard it’s an Aussie change of luck thing,” Broad later explained his little trick. “I’ve seen Nathan Lyon do it. We had a few play and misses in the morning session and we needed to make a breakthrough and I thought: ‘I’ll have a little change of the bails.’ It just worked out pretty magically that he nicked the next ball and Rooty took a great catch. I randomly went and celebrated with Uzzy [Usman Khawaja] for some reason. He said: ‘If you touch my bails I’m flipping them straight back.’ So he gave me an immediate warning.”