India star left unharmed by Mitchell Johnson bouncer in Adelaide
Thursday 11 December 2014 10:07, UK
Nathan Lyon thinks Australia’s bowlers will boosted by the fact Virat Kohli shrugged off a hit to the helmet in Adelaide.
India batsman Kohli was struck by a Mitchell Johnson bouncer on day three of the first Test, two weeks after Phillip Hughes received a fateful blow in a Sheffield Shield game.
Kohli was unharmed and went on to notch an elegant hundred as India reached 359-5 at stumps, 148 runs behind Australia’s first innings score of 517-7 declared.
We know the helmets work and now have that confidence for our quicks to have a bouncer again.
"It has probably been a positive thing, as bad as that sounds," Lyon said of Kohli’s knock to the head.
"Your heart skipped a beat and I went to everyone just to ask if they were okay.
"But we know the helmets work and now have the confidence that our quicks can bowl the bouncer again.”
On Johnson’s mindset, the spinner added: "He's feeling good and I can guarantee he's going to come out and fire in the second innings and have that aggression that we all love him for.”
Kohli was snaffled at fine leg by Ryan Harris off the bowling of Johnson late in Thursday’s evening session and Lyon, who picked up the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in Adelaide, reckons the opening Test is now evenly poised.
"It's pretty even-stevens, really," said Lyon, who record figures of 2-103 from his 30 overs.
“It was a great breakthrough with Virat's wicket and it was good to see Mitch get some reward for some pretty hard toil with the ball.
"If Virat doesn't play that shot it probably leans towards them, but now they're five down and we've still got a lead of 140 or so.
“So if we come out and bowl well, hopefully we can get a good solid lead."
Watch day four of the first Test between Australia and India, from 11.55pm on Thursday on Sky Sports 2.
