Kohli deliberately 'walked into' Australian youngster Sam Konstas on Day 1, an act that led the ICC match referee to impose a fine on him
Virat Kohli (Pic: AFP)
Star India batter Virat Kohli made headlines during the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), but not for his batting performance. Instead, it was his on-field antics that caught the attention.
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Kohli deliberately 'walked into' Australian youngster Sam Konstas on Day 1, an act that led the ICC match referee to impose a fine on him. While he admitted his mistake, Australian fans have yet to forgive the Indian star.
When Kohli returned to the field with his bat in hand for the final session on Day 2, the MCG erupted in boos. With India losing captain Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in the second session, Kohli walked out to bat alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal as the post-tea session began. A significant section of Australian fans greeted him with jeers, though Indian fans quickly drowned out the boos with applause.
@toxify_x18 pic.twitter.com/BN708YwFUw
— Embedded by Toxify (@toxify_v18) December 27, 2024
A few unworthy types booing the great man Kohli on his way to the crease...🇮🇳#TeamIndia🇮🇳#AUSvsIND #BGT pic.twitter.com/5h9YJJZHS0
— Sunil Awasthi (@sa9321) December 27, 2024
Konstas' debut has been described by cricket fans as 'pure cinema', and it certainly lived up to the hype. The 19-year-old arrived in the senior squad with considerable anticipation after winning the ICC U19 World Cup with Australia and scoring impressive hundreds in first-class cricket, including a knock against India during a pink-ball warm-up Test for the Prime Minister's XI at Manuka Oval, where he faced Indian stars like Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana.
In his first encounter with a full-strength Indian side, Konstas displayed remarkable confidence, unafraid to play unorthodox shots. To build pressure on the youngster, Kohli resorted to his trademark aggressive tactics, bumping into Konstas and making shoulder-to-shoulder contact. However, the strategy backfired as Konstas confidently took on star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, smashing some big shots, including a reverse ramp, and scoring 34 runs off him as part of his total of 60 runs. As a result, Kohli was fined 20 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The incident led to a surge of negative press for Kohli, particularly from the Australian media. The back page of The West Australian newspaper, which labeled Kohli a 'clown', quickly went viral on social media.
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