Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting checked the replays and concluded it was Virat’s fault, indicating he deliberately collided with the debutant.
A heated moment unfolded during the first session of the Boxing Day Test when Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas were involved in a heated conversation. As Kohli walked to the other end, he barged into Konstas’ shoulder, and the two exchanged a few words in the middle of the pitch.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting checked the replays and concluded it was Virat’s fault, indicating he deliberately collided with the debutant. According to Ponting, Kohli “instigated that confrontation” in the middle.
“Have a look where Virat walks. Virat has walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever,” exclaimed Ponting on 7Cricket.
Indeed, it looked deliberate from Virat, who was probably playing mind games with Sam to break his rhythm and concentration, forcing him to play a loose shot and get out. It may have been avoidable, but such things are bound to happen when two big teams clash; Australia also do the same on the field and have a long history of such incidents.
Virat Kohli’s actions on the field could lead to a few demerit points by the ICC. As of now, Kohli has 0 active demerit points, and his shoulder barging with Konstas can earn him a maximum of Level 2 offence, which means four demerit points.
Four demerit points result in one Test or two limited-over games, whichever comes first. So, Kohli can be suspended for the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), but it’s worth noting that ICC doesn’t usually hand four demerit points in one go.
So, Kohli might be categorised as a Level 1 offence and earn one demerit point for this incident. Hence, he might not miss the next game but should be cautious before repeating such actions on the field in future.
Anyways, Sam Konstas did the damage on his debut Test innings and scored a quickfire 60 to unsettle Indian bowlers. Virat Kohli tried to break the concentration, but Konstas was fully concentrated and did his job in Melbourne.
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