On Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, Virat Kohli got into a physical altercation with Australian debutant Sam Konstas, which resulted in a 20% match fee fine and a demerit point. Kohli and Konstas bumped shoulders while switching sides in between overs following the tenth over.
The short altercation, which was caught on camera, swiftly turned into a verbal altercation before the umpires and Australian opener Usman Khawaja intervened to defuse the situation.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?
The heated exchange between Kohli and Konstas happened during the 19-year-old Australian’s explosive debut. India’s pacer Mohammed Siraj and Konstas had a verbal altercation, then Virat aggressively gave a shoulder bump to Konstas, which triggered the physical altercation. The Australian debutant turned in surprise as Kohli seemed to imply that Konstas was to blame for the bump.
WATCH:
Sam Konstas said “Whatever happens on the field, stays on the field”.
(On Words exchanged with Virat Kohli )pic.twitter.com/a0hguaPnLY— ICT Fan (@Delphy06) December 26, 2024
Former cricket players immediately responded to Kohli’s actions. The great Australian captain Ricky Ponting claimed that Kohli started the altercation, pointing out that the Indian player had crossed the field to confront Konstas.
“Virat walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation,” Ponting said on the Seven Network.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri also weighed in, describing the incident as “absolutely unnecessary,” criticizing Kohli for the unwarranted physical contact.
Despite the brief on-field altercation, Konstas showed remarkable composure, scoring a quick-fire 60 runs off 65 balls, including a boundary off India’s top bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. Speaking after his dismissal, Konstas downplayed the incident, attributing it to the emotions running high in a Test match. “I didn’t quite realize; I was doing my gloves and then a little shoulder charge. It happens; it’s cricket,” he explained.
ICC Code of Conduct and Kohli’s Penalty
According to the ICC’s Code of Conduct, any form of inappropriate physical contact is strictly prohibited, with players facing penalties for deliberately or recklessly engaging in physical altercations. The match referee for the ongoing Test, Andy Pycroft, deemed Kohli’s actions a Level One offence. As a result, Kohli was fined 20% of his match fee and handed one demerit point.
Had the incident been rated as a Level Two offence, Kohli would have faced further penalties which might have included suspension once his demerit points have reached the threshold. However, with this offense rated at Level One, Kohli will be in time for India’s next Test match against Australia in Sydney which commences on January 3.
Incident adds to the growing tensions concerning the performances of Virat Kohli in the Border-Gavaskar series underway. After scoring a century-winning knock in the opening Test, Kohli struggled with his form in successive games, scoring less than 11 runs. When the series is delicately poised at 1-1, India will certainly expect a big contribution from the main man in the remaining tests.
ALSO READ: IND VS AUS: Was It Kohli Who Instigated Confrontation With Debutant Sam Konstas? WATCH VIDEO!
