December 27, Melbourne [Australia]: As Australia plays India in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), star batsman Virat Kohli is once again in the news. In addition to his form issues, the famous batter’s furious altercation with Australian starter Sam Konstas, who is making his debut, is garnering media attention as he struggles with bad form.
‘Pure cinema’ is how cricket fans would characterize Konstas’ debut, and it certainly was. After winning the ICC U19 World Cup with Australia and amassing some incredible hundreds in first-class cricket, including one against India during a pink-ball warm-up Test while playing for Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval, where he faced Indian stars like Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, and others, the 19-year-old arrived at the senior team with a lot of buzz.
During his first encounter with a full-strength Indian team, Konstas shown a great deal of confidence and was not scared to attempt some unconventional shots. Virat used the tried-and-true method of bumping into Konstas and establishing shoulder-to-shoulder contact in order to put pressure on the child. But the strategy backfired as he stole 34 of his 60 runs and hammered top pacer Jasprit Bumrah for several huge smashes, including a reverse ramp. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also docked Virat one demerit point and penalized him 20% of his match money.
Virat received a lot of bad criticism from Australian media as a result of this event. Virat being referred to as a “clown” on the back page of The West Australian newspaper has gone viral on social media.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting also said that the sanction was “not harsh enough” in an interview with 7 Cricket.
“In my opinion, the punishment was not severe enough,” Ponting said. I am aware that comparable violations have resulted in similar-sized fines in the past; they have typically been between 15 and 25 percent, but let’s consider the magnitude of yesterday.”
“Probably the most watched cricket day of the year worldwide is this one. What would happen in a grade game this weekend if that scenario occurred? I believe that people will now consider it to be practically acceptable.
“Unfortunately for someone like Virat, as we were informed as players and as senior players, there are instances where the severity of the penalty is just different for certain individuals. Personally, I don’t believe the sanction was severe enough since he is a role model and someone the cricket community looks up to,” he said.
“‘He won’t be too proud’: Greats speak out on Kohli amid concerns of legacy in Australia” is the heading of a piece that FOX Sports also published that included opinions from some of the game’s greatest players on the event. Former Australian cricketer Kerry O’Keeffe discussed how this event would impact Virat’s legacy in the article, while former wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist discussed whether or not fining wealthy players is an appropriate form of discipline.
Two pieces on the event were also published by Wide World of Sports (WWOS), one of which had a title that highlighted Virat’s escape from a ban. “Kohli escapes ban for ‘unnecessary’ Konstas bump,” the headline said.
The famous Steve Waugh expressed his thoughts on the situation in another piece, stating that he was fortunate to have avoided a suspension.
“‘Extremely lucky’: Waugh takes aim over Kohli sanction,” the WWOS article’s title said.
The ICC should fulfill its duty and ensure that the MCG Test is Virat’s last test on Australian soil, according to an article in SEN Cricket. Only a few hours after the tragedy, this was released. The headline said, “If the ICC does its job, Boxing Day should be Virat Kohli’s last Test on Australian soil.”
“Embarrassing for the ICC and world cricket”: Was Virat Kohli given preferential treatment? was the title of another piece that SEN created after the punishment was issued.
The Sydney Morning Herald article titled “The secret post-sandpaper-gate change that saved Virat Kohli from suspension” describes how Virat was spared a ban thanks to modifications made to the ICC code of conduct after Australia’s ball-tampering case during the 2018 South Africa Test series. According to the report, after the event, tampering was subject to far harsher sanctions, while physical contact was downgraded from a “level two” offense (which might result in a suspension) to a “level one” offense, which carries much less severe penalties like fines.
Some high scores will be required in this series to win back the affections of the Australian media, which bragged about his arrival at the beginning of the series.
Virat has only scored 26 runs in his previous four innings, including three single-digit scores, as the Australians have kept him quiet apart from an undefeated 100 in the first Test match in Perth.
However, Virat has an incredible record at MCG in Test cricket, amassing 316 runs at an average of 52.66 in three Test matches, including two fifties and a century in six innings. In 2014, he achieved his highest score of 169.
Virat has a strong overall record in Boxing Day Tests, notably against South Africa. He has amassed 540 runs at an average of 45.00 in 12 innings in six Test matches, including three fifties and a century. 169 is his highest score.
Since Virat has only amassed 614 runs at an average of 21.92 in all forms this year, with just one century, two fifties, and a top score of 100* to his record, fans would undoubtedly be hoping for a huge score from the 36-year-old icon.
With just a century and fifty to his credit in 17 innings, he has amassed 376 runs at an average of 25.06 in nine Test matches this season. His highest rating is 100*.
Virat the Test batsman has not had a good decade in the 2020s. He has only amassed 1,964 runs at an average of 31.67 in 37 Test matches and 64 innings, with three hundreds, nine fifties, and a top score of 186.
Virat has amassed 687 runs at an average of 36.15 in 12 games and 21 innings throughout the current ICC World Test Championship final, with three fifties, two hundreds, and the highest score of 121.
