Last month, when Virat Kohli arrived in Perth, Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Australian media dubbed his return as the “return of the king”. But, a controversy on the first day of the Boxing Day Test completely changed the perspective of the Australian media and fans. After this incident, Kohli faced criticism and was even given derogatory epithets.
Clash with 19 year old Sam Constas
On the first day of the Boxing Day Test match on 26 December, Australia’s young player Sam Constas was playing a brilliant innings in his debut match. Meanwhile, an unexpected confrontation took place between Virat Kohli and Constas.
- Event Details:
- During the game, Kohli’s shoulder collided with Sam Constas.
- After this some words were exchanged between the two.
- Umpire and Usman Khawaja intervened and calmed down the matter.
- ICC decision:
- Virat Kohli was fined 20% of his match fee.
- Along with this, he was also given one demerit point.
Australian media targets Kohli
After this incident, Australian media badly targeted Virat Kohli.
- Criticism of ‘The West Australian’:
- The newspaper dubbed Kohli as “Joker Kohli”.
- It was written in the article, “Indian ‘Souk’ criticized for pathetic collision in young player’s dream debut.”
- ‘Souk’ is Tasmanian slang for coward or crybaby.
- Other media reactions:
- One media house described Kohli as a “crybaby”.
- Australian fans and former cricketers also took part in criticizing Kohli.
Virat Kohli’s reaction
Virat Kohli, who usually keeps his emotions under control on the field, admitted his mistake after the incident.
- He accepted the ICC decision peacefully.
- Because of his acceptance, a relatively small fine was imposed on him.
Kohli’s sportsmanship vs controversy
The incident was an unusual one in Kohli’s long career.
- Kohli is known for his aggression and enthusiasm on the field, but this usually remains within the spirit of the game.
- His criticism raised questions about whether the media and fans had blown the incident out of proportion.
