Former England cricket team fast bowler Steve Harmison said that Virat Kohli should have been banned for his on-field altercation with Sam Konstas during the fourth Test match against Australia in Melbourne. Harmison believes that Virat crossed the line during the incident which saw the star India batter “shoulder-barge” Konstas which lead to a massive controversy. The ex-England star also warned Konstas about provoking opposition players in the future with a reference to the Ashes.

“What happened with Kohli there – Kohli was bang out of order. Virat Kohli should have been banned for what he did. You know how much I love Virat Kohli and what he has done for the game, but there’s a line, and you do not cross it,” Harmison told the talkSPORT Cricket podcast.

Harmison also advised Konstas to concentrate on his own technique and not try to emulate David Warner.

“Sam has got the scoops, he’s got the big shots. But does he have the defensive technique for Test match cricket against the world’s best? That’s something he needs to figure out. If he gets it right, he has a great chance because he can be aggressive and has a good mindset for attacking the ball. But I just think he wants to be David Warner, and technically, he’s nowhere near as good as Warner,” Harmison explained.

“If he’s opening the batting against England, I’d be happy. I really would. But he’s only 19, and he’s going to improve. However, if he continues to be aggressive verbally, he’ll face consequences. India is one thing, but the Ashes – with all the pressure it brings – is another level entirely. I’ve no issue with him having a go at India; he tried to rile them up because they were wasting time, and India got Khawaja out and won. But the Ashes will be a different challenge,” he added.

The England cricket team returned to action in the longest format of the sport as they faced West Indies in the first Test match on Wednesday. It was a huge occasion as the encounter was star fast bowler James Anderson‘s final international appearance. The last time England played a Test series was against India where they were handed a massive 1-4 defeat in the five-match series. Several fans and experts believed that England’s ‘Bazball’ approach of cricket did not work for them in India and the result was an indicator of its limitations. However, former England pacer Steve Harmison believes that the national side played good cricket in India and they even gave the hosts ‘a real headache’ during the series.

“I thought they (England) played excellent cricket in India. They gave India some real headaches. But then, all of a sudden, when you get to a point that you go, ‘oh no, they’ve done it again’. How many times you see a crash of wickets? That’s the problem, where you need to read a room. You can’t have everything in an ideal world. The way these red ball players play now, it’s far better than what it was in the previous regime,” Harmison told talkSPORT cricket.

“I don’t think India killed Bazball. I think India played better cricket in their own backyard. They made smarter decisions under pressure. But I think there were definitely times during those five Test matches where England gave India a real headache. And not many teams have done that to India in India,” he added.

Meanwhile, the decision taken by England captain Ben Stokes to bowl first was greeted by huge cheers from the crowd, with spectators eager to witness the last chapter of a record-breaking Test career.

Anderson has taken 700 Test wickets, the most by any fast bowler, since making his debut against Zimbabwe at Lord’s in 2003.

Before play started it was the 41-year-old Anderson who presented the 26-year-old Atkinson with his England cap in a match where another Surrey player — wicketkeeper Jamie Smith — was also making his Test debut.

Anderson’s daughters rang the five-minute bell in the Pavilion before their father led England onto the field of play to prolonged applause.

(With AFP inputs)