Virat Kohli’s on-field theatrics have taken centerstage in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the Indian superstar making headlines for his fiery confrontations, a costly run-out mix-up, and his resilience with the bat.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen, came out in support of Kohli, praising the 36-year-old for bringing theatre to the game.
The drama unfolded on the first day of the fourth Test when Kohli collided with Australian debutant Sam Konstas in a fiery moment on the field. The 19-year-old Konstas, unruffled by the incident, had a word with Kohli that made the tension go up. When Kohli turned back to have a word with Konstas, umpire Michael Gough and Usman Khawaja had to intervene to calm things down.
"Virat creating theatre down under! Let's GO! Imagine how boring it would be without the Showman! And he's earned EVERYTHING with his runs over his career! Many would end their successful international careers with a 1/4 of what he's achieved…." Pietersen said this on X.
The International Cricket Council imposed a 20% fee of the match on Kohli and awarded him a demerit point for that incident. Although the penalty was rather light, the incident generated a mixed reaction, where some condemned Kohli for his aggression, while others defended him as part of his competitive spirit.
Kohli’s troubles compounded on the second day, first with a run-out involving Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair had forged a solid 102-run partnership, but a communication breakdown proved disastrous. Jaiswal, batting beautifully on 82, flicked Scott Boland towards mid-on and set off for a single. Kohli, however, didn’t respond, leaving Jaiswal stranded and run out at the non-striker’s end.
The mix-up seemed to rattle Kohli, who was dismissed shortly after for 36, nicking a delivery from Boland. His exit triggered a collapse, and India slipped from 153/2 to 164/5 by stumps, trailing Australia by an enormous 310 runs.
India is in a precarious position in the Test. After Australia posted a mammoth 474, thanks to Steve Smith's sublime 140, India's late collapse has put them on the back foot. The unbeaten batsmen Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant will hold the key to India's hopes of a fightback on Day 3.
Contributions from Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar at the lower end could also be vital in narrowing the deficit.
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