MELBOURNE: India’s star batter Virat Kohli stared down spectators while returning to the pavilion on the second day of the ongoing fourth Test against Australia here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday.
Kohli, who is going through a rough patch since his drought-ending century in Perth, could score 35 runs before falling victim to Scott Boland in the 43rd over of India’s first innings as he once again poked at the outside off-stump delivery.
In a video going viral on social media, Kohli was seen making his way back to the dugout amid loud booing by the spectators. The right-handed batter, however, stopped midway through and returned to confront some of the fans, who presumably said something inappropriate.
The security, understanding the complexity of the matter, stepped in and promptly escorted Virat Kohli to the dressing room.
For the unversed, Kohli has been under fire for bumping into Australia’s debutant opener Sam Konstas during the first session of the opening day of the ongoing fixture.
The incident occurred after the conclusion of the 10th over of Australia’s first innings when Kohli made physical contact with Konstas in front of a packed crowd of 90,000.
The moment sparked a brief exchange of words between the two players, prompting Australian opener Usman Khawaja to intervene and defuse the tension.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) reviewed the incident under Article 2.12 of its Code of Conduct (CoC), which prohibits inappropriate physical contact in cricket.
The ICC fined him 20% of his match fee and handed him one demerit point.
However, former cricketers and Australian media expressed dissatisfaction with the punishment, calling it too lenient. Some even demanded at least a one-match suspension for the Indian star.
- Virat Kohli