Several former players disapproved of Virat Kohli’s avoidable tiff with young Sam Konstas on Thursday while Australia opener Usman Khawaja said he stepped in to diffuse the tension because he did not want the situation to go out of hands. Khawaja was at the crease when the incident took place in the 10th over of the Australian innings on the opening day of the fourth Test in Melbourne. While crossing over, Kohli and Konstas bumped shoulders and quickly turned around to glance at each other, engaging in a heated exchange of words.
Khawaja immediately stepped in to separate them, putting his arm around Kohli. The on-field umpires also had a word with the two, as things cooled down rather quickly.
“I was walking the other way and just as I turned around, I saw them collide. I was like, ‘What’s going on here?’ Sammy was going, he was on fire, his beans were obviously going. I just came to diffuse the situation,” Khawaja told the ABC.
“I like the emotion. There was a bit of chirp going on between Sam and (Jasprit) Bumrah and Virat the whole time. But I didn’t want it to be tainted by any physical contact.
“I’ve known Virat a long time. We’ve been mates a long time. I was like (to Konstas), ‘Chill. I’ll talk to him. You chill, and I’ll sort this out’.” Former players Justin Langer, Michael Vaughan, and umpire Simon Taufel also felt Kohli was at fault.
“We don’t like seeing that in any cricket,” Langer, the former Australia coach, said during commentary for the Seven Network.
“There’ll be plenty said about this.” The incident happened after the 19-year-old Konstas had left India in a state of shock with his sensational stroke-play, taking down Bumrah, on his way to a 65-ball 60.
“Virat Kohli is such an experienced pro, being wound up by a 19 [year old],” Former England Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan told Fox Cricket.
“It’s Virat that walks into Sam.” Taufel, a five-time umpire of the year, too felt it was Kohli who got into Konstas’ line.
“It shows Virat Kohli actually changing his line to get into the personal space of Sam Konstas,” Taufel said while commenting on the Seven Network.
“My suggestion would be they’ll be looking at that seriously and likely do something about that now.” Kohli was later fined 20 percent of his match fee and awarded one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and former India coach Ravi Shastri also blamed Kohli for instigating the exchange.
Oz media feels Kohli got away lightly
Australian media seemed not too happy by ICC’s minor sanction on Kohli.
“Virat Kohli is free to play in the Sydney Test after avoiding a suspension for his physical altercation with Australia’s boy wonder Sam Konstas during a dramatic start to the Boxing Day Test,” wrote Sydney Morning Herald.
Foxsports’ headline read: “‘Completely acted wrong’: Kohli shock as star avoids ban for ‘ridiculous’ clash with Aussie teen.”
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