The shoulder-barging incident between India star Virat Kohli and Australia’s teenage opener Sam Konstas was one of the most controversial moments of the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. It was a moment that divided opinion between Indian and Australian fans, experts and media, and even led to Kohli being labelled a “clown” by an Australian newspaper. Looking back at the incident, former Australia cricketer Brad Haddin has put the blame entirely on Kohli, saying that Kohli had turned into a frustrated figure, not just because of Konstas’ aggressive brand of cricket, but also because of his own lean patch.

“He (Sam Konstas) got under Kohli’s skin. Kohli was frustrated… Kohli was frustrated with his game,” said Haddin, speaking on the Willow Talk podcast.

“He came out to bat, everyone in every commentary box said, ‘Australia are going to bowl on fourth or fifth stump, they will play on Kohli’s patience’, and he got out the same way every time,” Haddin added.

The incident, which happened on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Melbourne, took place after Konstas had made a fiery start with the bat on Test debut, even taking Jasprit Bumrah for 14 runs in an over, including a reverse-scoop six.

Kohli ultimately paid the price for the incident, seeing 20 per cent of his match fees deducted and an ICC demerit point added to his name. However, Haddin explains that Virat Kohli was also frustrated because of his own game.

“He (Kohli) fell for the same plan all the time. On this occasion, the young kid (Konstas) got under his skin. Kohli reacted in a way, if you were sitting in the change room, you would have said, ‘we’ve got ’em here, we’ve broken the back of India’,” Haddin said.

Kohli scored just 190 runs in nine innings in the series, and was dismissed by edging a ball outside the off-stump each time.

Former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin lauded Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and compared his performances with legendary Aussie spinner Shane Warne’s Ashes campaign against England in 2005. Bumrah had an all-time great Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign, taking 32 scalps in five matches, most by an Indian during an away series, at an average of 13.06 and best figures of 6/76. He took a total of three five-wicket hauls and was given the ‘Player of the Series’ award. Despite his superhuman effort and fight, India could not win the trophy.

Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Haddin said, “We have witnessed the greatness of Bumrah, the uniqueness of his action and how influential he was on every batter in the Australian team. It’s in the same conversation as Warney’s 2005 Ashes (40 wickets in the series despite England’s win). That is exactly what it deserves. If he’s not there, Australia would probably win 5-0.”

“By the time he finishes his career, we will be talking about him in the same breath as McGrath and Wasim Akram. He was so influential over the series. He has a unique action, skill, the way he gets the ball to move both ways. We made selection decisions to counter-act how good he was,” he added.

However, Haddin said he is not yet in conversations with greats like Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, Curtley Ambrose, etc.

“I would not put him on top of that league. He has got a long way to go. He has got 200 Test wickets. We hope to see him in some time. If he continues the same way he is going, his name will be in that conversation,” said the former Aussie player.

India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3, succumbing to a six-wicket defeat in the fifth and final Test at Sydney after setting Australia a target of 162 runs. With this loss, India is officially out of contention for the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June next year, as Australia and South Africa have sealed their places.

File image of Ravichandran Ashwin.© BCCI

Amid the ongoing feud between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, ex-cricketer Brad Haddin has revealed the reason behind the war of words between the two. It all kicked off after Gambhir replied to Ponting over his comments on star India batter Virat Kohli‘s concerning form ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gambhir asked him to concentrate on Australian cricket instead, before the legendary batter fired a sharp retort, calling the India coach a prickly character.

Gambhir played under Ponting at Delhi Capitals in 2018, which turned out to be his final season in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a player. He only played half of the games that season, with Shreyas Iyer leadng the side for the remaining matches.

However, Haddin teased to lift the lid on the backstory between the two, which he reveal in the coming days.

“Gambhir is a character that would use this as an us versus them mentality. And you expect your coach to stick up for the players. His reaction was prickly there, and you don’t need your coach to get caught up in that sort of scenario unless his tactics is to build an us versus them. I know what the backstory. I’ll tell you; just wait till later of the week. There was a little elbow, suspensions and fines,” Haddin said on LiSTNR Sport Podcast.

Haddin also compared Gambhir to Australian rugby coach Wayne Bennett, who often tries to take the pressure away from his team by taking the center stage.

“It’s out of the Wayne Bennett style of coaching. So we’re not really talking now about Rohit Sharma or [Virat] Kohli. We’re talking about Gambhir and Ricky [Ponting]. With Gambhir, he has bitten back, taken the pressure away from his team. It’s all about him now; it’s about how prickly he is. And now he might be able to go and prepare his team. You’d like to believe that he has a very clear plan on how they want to ready,” he pointed out.

While he did agree that Gambhir can be a “prickly character” at times, Haddin wondered if the latter is doing this on purpose, especially with his team under real pressure after losing the series to New Zealand.

“We know he’s a prickly character and can wind himself up. Is he doing this now to take it away from his teammates? I don’t know. Only time will tell. If it’s an emotional reaction, then there’s a problem. But if he’s doing it to deflect things away and take it [attention] away from his team, that’s a different thing,” he added.

File image of Ricky Ponting.© BCCI

Former Australian captain Brad Haddin lauded Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for being able to force out a result out of an almost unwinnable match against Bangladesh in Kanpur and backed the Men in Blue to replicate such more performances during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy away from home this year in November. In the Kanpur Test, Team India missed two days of action due to rain and wet outfield after Bangladesh ended the first day at 107/3 in the first innings.

When Bangladesh started day four with the same score, the match looked heading towards a draw with two days left and only the first innings being played. But Bangladesh was first skittled out for 233 and then India got some quickfire runs, posting 285/9 and taking two Bangladesh wickets at the end of day four. On the next day, India bundled out Bangladesh for 146 and were leading by 94 runs. They got a target of 95 runs and chased it down easily.

Speaking on the LisTNR podcast, “I actually do (If India will play same cricket in Australia). Because if you look at this result… the worst result for India would have been a draw. There was no way India would have lost it. Rohit had nothing to lose. How good was it to watch! It’s a wonderful way to win Test cricket.”

Haddin noted that Team India gave themselves a chance to win the game and played a great brand of cricket.

“They gave themselves a chance to win the game. It was not about ‘How many runs I score’, it is about finding enough time to bowl Bangladesh out. They played a great brand of cricket, but it was all about giving them enough time. My hat goes off to support staff, Rohit Sharma… he has always been this sort of captain: Win first. I love the style of cricket,” said Haddin.

The former wicketkeeper-batter said that the team could have gone for a draw and no one would have said a thing.

“The mindset of Rohit Sharma to find a way to manipulate a result… teams are scared to go 10 runs/over in 20 overs cricket! So, I take my hats off to India,” he concluded.

The Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia will begin on November 22, with the first Test at Perth.

The second Test, scheduled for December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, will feature the exciting day-night format under the stadium’s lights. After that, fans will turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, which will be held from December 14 to 18.

The customary Boxing Day Test, set for December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s storied Melbourne Cricket Ground, will bring the series to its penultimate stage.

The fifth and final Test, taking place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, will serve as the series climax, promising a dramatic conclusion to an exciting contest.