Kohli and Konstas have heated bust-up as tempers flare in MCG in the first session of play on Day 1 of Boxing Day.
Kohli and Konstas had a mid-pitch altercation in the first session of the ongoing MCG Test.
After the tenth over of the morning, Kohli and Konstas collided as they were crossing the pitch in between overs.
After a furious back and forth between the two players, Konstas’ opening partner Usman Khawaja and umpire Michael Gough intervened to break up the dispute.
Later in the session, replays revealed that, after the final ball of the tenth over, Konstas had turned around from the crease and was heading straight for the other end, while Kohli, with the ball in his hand, had come from well outside the pitch and bumped into Konstas.
“I think the emotions got to both of us,” Konstas later told Channel 7 in the second session. “I didn’t quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.”
“Have a look at where Virat walks,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting observed while commentating on Channel 7 while watching the replay of the incident. “Virat’s walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind, whatsoever.”
Speaking on the incident, former umpire Simon Taufel told Channel 7 that Kohli’s alteration of his course would be considered “inappropriate physical contact” in accordance with the ICC’s Code of Conduct.
“This long shot that’s been provided by the director is really interesting because it shows Virat Kohli actually changing his line to get into the personal space of Sam Konstas. Now, there’s a clause within the ICC Code of Conduct that talks about inappropriate physical contact and that’s the clause that the umpires and the referee will be looking at, at close of play today to see whether or not Virat’s actions fall into that category and my suggestion would be that they’ll probably – looking at that seriously – more than likely do something about that now.”
High-intensity tests involving Australia and India are not new to such altercations and disputes. When he was captain, he once clashed with opposing captain Tim Paine in 2018 and engaged Mitchell Johnson in a battle while he was scoring an incredible century in Adelaide in 2014.