Virat Kohli responds to the jeering MCG crowd
On Day 1 of the fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, the home fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground were not pleased with senior India batsman Virat Kohli's shoulder barge on Australia's 19-year-old Sam Konstas. Every time he approached the boundary ropes, the onlookers started jeering at him.
During Thursday's first session, Kohli purposefully approached Konstas, who was heading to the opposite end of the crease and collided with him with his shoulder. The on-field umpire and fellow Australian opener Usman Khawaja broke up the fight between the two right away.
The media heralded the return of the "king" when the former India captain landed in Perth before the commencement of his maybe final tour Down Under, but the Australian public has always held the highest regard for Kohli since his first visit there in 2012. His intentional use of physical force to frighten newcomer Konstas, however, did not sit well with the MCG audience.
When Kohli had to dive to defend a boundary in one of the overs during Australia's opening innings on Thursday, his sunglasses slipped over the boundary ropes. Following his fielding effort, the Indian hurled the ball in the direction of the wicketkeeper before making his way back to the boundary to retrieve his sunglasses.
During all of this, Kohli was the target of intense jeering and booing from the Australian audience, which was even acknowledged in the commentary. The India No. 4 glaring at the crowd, however, retaliated by spitting out his chewing gum.
.jpg)
