Virat Kohli was involved in a physical altercation with Australian debutant Sam Konstas on Day 1 of the India vs Australia Test in Melbourne. The incident occurred after Konstas took a single off Mohammed Siraj’s final ball of the 10th over. As Konstas walked toward his batting partner Usman Khawaja, Kohli, who was near the ball, moved in his direction, and the two collided. Neither player changed course, leading to a brief confrontation.
Kohli turned and exchanged words with Konstas, who responded in kind. Khawaja quickly intervened, separating the two players, while the umpires also spoke to Kohli and Konstas to diffuse the situation.
Vaughan and Ponting Criticize Kohli’s Actions
Former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed disappointment, suggesting the match referee, Andy Pycroft, would review the incident. Vaughan remarked that Kohli, a player of great experience, would likely regret his actions. “Virat changed direction and walked straight into Konstas. He’ll look back and question why he did that,” Vaughan said.
Ricky Ponting also criticized Kohli, stating, “Virat walked a whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. It’s clear where the fault lies.”
Despite the altercation, Konstas remained unfazed, continuing to dominate with the bat. He took on India’s star bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, smashing him for a six and two fours in the following over. The 19-year-old went on to score a quick-fire half-century off 52 balls, becoming the youngest Australian debutant since Pat Cummins to reach this milestone. Konstas was eventually dismissed for 60 off 65 balls by Ravindra Jadeja.
Konstas, who replaced Nathan McSweeney in the lineup, became Australia’s fourth youngest Test debutant.
