There has been no shortage of drama in the latest edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But at no point did it show signs of devolving into full-blown controversy.
In Adelaide, it was Travis Head against Mohammad Siraj. Despite the Australian crowd trying their best to make it a talking point, both players eased the tension and moved on. Between the Brisbane and Melbourne Tests, the Australian media chased Virar Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja for any trouble. But with only 10 days of cricket left, Boxing Day has lit a new fire. It’s no surprise that the man who started the fire was Virat Kohli – a player who has had his fair share of run-ins with the Australian players and the crowd. No one complained then. If anything, her aggressive, in-your-face attitude won her fans.
Not this time though. Without provocation, some crossed the pitch and bumped into 19-year-old debutant Sam Konstas on the shoulder. Hot moments are not new when Kohli is on the field. But physical contact with an opponent goes against the spirit of the ethos on which the game is built. Being a senior player and the biggest ambassador of world cricket, good behavior is expected from Kohli. He’s not a 20-year-old who wants to silence his doubters. Despite his aggressive behavior on the field in the past, he was rarely pulled over by game officials. Because he never actually crossed the line.
India’s Virat Kohli talks to Australia’s Sam Konstas (second left) as Usman Khawaja (right) looks on during the first day of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (AP Photo)
But on Thursday, there were reasons to believe Kohli had taken it too far against the debutant for everyone, including match referee Andy Pycroft, who picked him as the hero. It certainly won’t go down as a proud moment for Kohli, who has been gracious in the past. As much as his on-field antics, the cricketing world will also remember how he asked Indian fans to stop teasing Steve Smith for his involvement in the sandpaper gate at the 2019 World Cup. Since then Kohli has become a mellow version of himself, one who does not seek war of words with opponents.
Lately, he’s been welcoming — he remembers staying with Hasib Hamid in Mohali — and praising newcomers. If Konstas’ courage and determination to take the bull by the horns must have won him a big fan in Kohli. But the 19-year-old realized what it really means to “never meet your heroes”. Kohli’s behavior will be reviled. He may not earn enough demerit points to miss another Test, but Kohli may have lost a fan in Konstas.
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