Melbourne, Dec 26: On the opening day of the fourth Test match, tensions rose between star Indian batsman Virat Kohli and Australian newcomer Sam Konstas, resulting in a brief physical confrontation. The 19-year-old debutant chose to downplay the incident later.
The clash occurred right after the first 10 overs of the Australian innings, as the players crossed paths on the pitch. A shoulder bump between Kohli and Konstas quickly escalated into a verbal exchange, leading Konstas’ teammate Usman Khawaja to step in and break it up. The on-field umpires also intervened to de-escalate the situation.
“Emotions got the better of both of us,” Konstas reflected in an interview with ‘Channel 7’.
“I was just adjusting my gloves when there was a little shoulder charge, but that’s part of cricket,” he added.
At the time, Konstas was on 27 runs and proceeded to hit Jasprit Bumrah for two boundaries and a six in the following over. He ultimately scored an impressive fifty on his debut before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja for leg before wicket.
While Konstas dismissed the incident as normal, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting criticized Kohli for instigating the altercation. “Just look at where Virat walked. He deliberately crossed the entire pitch to provoke that confrontation. I have no doubt about it,” Ponting stated on Channel 7 while reviewing the replay. (PTI)
