Virat Kohli is accused by former cricketer Ricky Ponting of starting a verbal altercation between himself and debutant Sam Konstas during the current Boxing Day Test at the storied Melbourne Cricket Ground. When Kohli was walking from one end to the other on the first day of the match, the event occurred after the tenth over. When Kohli and Konstas bumped shoulders during this, the latter instantly responded, and Kohli eventually wasn’t afraid to return it.
Ricky Ponting examined the situation and pointed out that the match referee and on-field umpires might investigate it after the game.
He blamed Kohli for the shoulder bump and stated that the fielders know how the batters move after an over. In addition to supporting Konstas, the 50-year-old said that the rookie had little time to react before being struck by the Indian cricketer since he had glanced at Kohli so late.
To his right, Virat walked a whole pitch and started the altercation. I have no doubts whatsoever. I am confident that the referee and umpires will examine that closely. The batsman should be far away from fielders at that point. “Every fielder on the ground is aware of the location where the batsmen will gather,” Ponting stated on television following the incident.
The seasoned Indian batter may be subject to disciplinary punishment after the incident was reported, according to a top ICC source. It will now be up to the referee and the contest umpires to review the footage and assess the situation. The source claims that they may ask the players who are taking part to clarify.
“It appeared to me that Konstas glanced up quite late and was unaware that there was anyone in front of him. Kohli, the man on TV there, may have some questions for him, he continued.
The man of the moment
Sam Konstas chats with @copes9 about his first Test innings…
And everything else that happened during it as well #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/v7hhwMWgtB
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 26, 2024
Notably, matters between Kohli and Konstas were defused by seasoned hitter Usman Khawaja and on-field umpire Michael Gough. In contrast, the youthful player played aggressively on his debut, hitting 60 runs off 65 deliveries before being removed by Ravindra Jadeja. Khawaja was able to settle down thanks to his intent with the bat and finished with 57 runs.
The middle order hitters will be looking to build on the start the openers provided the hosts. In addition to having a psychological advantage going into the Sydney Test, the winner of the match will be getting closer to the World Test Championship final as the series is now tied at one.
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