Boxing Day Test: Kohli invites more pressure with shoulder-barge row

The ongoing tour Down Under, billed as possibly Virat Kohli’s final one, is not going the way the master batter would have like it to. The shoulder-barge incident between him and 19-year-old debutant Sam Konstas on day one of the Boxing Day Test has cost him 20 per cent of his match fees as a penal measure, but the intangible damage is much greater.

A glance through social media signals the prevailing mood even among Indian fans, most finding the incident needless and urging the master batter to do the talking with the bat. Konstas, who executed Australia’s plans well to take on dangerman Jasprit Bumrah early to score a sparkling 60 and set the tone for their domination at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), was surprisingly mature in his response later.

‘’Virat Kohli accidentally bumped into me, that’s cricket and can happen with tension,’’ the teenager told Channel 7 after the day’s play. ‘’I think the emotions got to both of us,’’ added the youngster, who revealed his aggressive intent later. It’s not every day that a batter in contemporary cricket can hit Bumrah for two fours and a huge six in one over in Tests.

Ponting's jibe

‘’I didn’t quite realise, I was doing up my gloves, then a little shoulder charge but it happens in cricket,’’ he added. While the official broadcasters have often soft-pedalled on Kohli’s outbursts over the years, Ricky Ponting was in no mood to call it an accident on Channel 7.

‘’Have a look where Virat walks. Virat’s walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever,’’ the former Australian captain said. ‘’I have no doubt that the umpires and the referee will have a good look at that. Fielders should be nowhere near the batsman at that stage."

The umpires and the ICC (International Cricket Council) clearly agreed, adding one demerit point against Kohli.

‘Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match”,’ the ICC said on its website.

‘No formal hearing was needed as Kohli accepted the sanctions proposed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft. On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Shawn Craig levelled the charge," it added.

While moving across the pitch after the completion of the over, both the players bumped their shoulders and exchanged a few words before Australia opener Usman Khawaja and on-field umpires Gough and Wilson intervened.

‘’It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late, wouldn’t even know anyone is in front of him. That man on-screen there (Kohli) might have a few questions to answer,’’ Ponting added.

The video footage looked that Kohli was almost spoiling for a fight after the mid-pitch collison, and Konstas was in no mood to apologise either. Non-striker Usman Khawaja stepped in to calm down things and it fortunately didn’t go out of hand.  

More than a matter of personal angst, Kohli’s action can also be construed as one of frustration with the Australian openers after 10 overs, more so since Konstas' unorthodox methods seemed to be paying off. However, the incident may go on to play in Kohli’s mind — however seasoned a customer he might be — when he goes into bat.

The India veteran has often been called out during a storied career for being unduly in-your-face, but those were times when he could do no wrong. The times have now changed, and giving the Aussie media a chance to needle him — after already being labelled a ‘bully’ after the photography incident at Melbourne airport — was surely avoidable.

There was, however, unstinted praise for Konstas from the rival camp when assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said his side was expecting this approach from the young right-hander as they saw him in full flow during a contest against the Prime Minister’s XI at the start of the month when he scored a superb century in Canberra.

‘’We saw him when we played the PM XI game prior to that as well, he got a hundred against us then as well. We knew what we were up against,’’ he said. There is no guarantee that Konstas’ methods will fetch him success all the time, but the perfect batting conditions at MCG helped him grab the spotlight on a day when Khawaja signalled a return to form with a easy-on-the-eye 50, while Marnus Labuschagne was back in the anchor's role.

India now needs to try to polish off the rest of the Aussie batting, with marathon man Steve Smith still there, when action resumes on day two.