Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has criticised Virat Kohli for his on-field antics. He opined that Kohli was in the wrong when he bumped into debutant Sam Konstas in the Boxing Day Test at the jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Usman Khawaja stepped in to prevent further escalation. Kohli was fined 20 per cent of his match fee and received one demerit point. Gavaskar feels that Kohli did it without any provocation and it was 'simply not cricket'. He feels that there is no point to get back at the crowds as they are there to entertain themselves.
"That said, what Kohli did with the shoulder bump is simply not cricket. Indians are not shy to retaliate if provoked, but here the provocation was simply not there. The one thing that players learn with experience is that it's futile to try and get back at the crowds, who have come to have a good time, so booing players is never personal but just a way to entertain themselves," Gavaskar wrote in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Gavaskar not please with Kohli's sandpaper imitation
On Day 3 of the Sydney Test, Kohli was seen mocking the crowd by imitating Cameron Bancroft's sandpaper act. Gavaskar feels that Kohli engaging with the crowd ends up putting a target on his teammates' back.
"To react to that doesn't do the player any good, and in fact, does more harm. Kohli must understand that whatever he does to react to the crowd actually puts more pressure on his teammates, who also then become targets of the spectators," Gavaskar added.
While Kohli was criticised for sledging the young opener Konstas, he failed with the bat. He was caught behind the stumps eight times in the series as Australian pacers exploited his weakness against deliveries pitched outside off stump. He managed to score just 190 runs at an average of 23.75. His best knock came in the ongoing Test of the series at Perth Stadium when he scored a century.
"With his continued failures to avoid nibbling at the deliveries around the off-stump, he failed to make the contribution that could have boosted the total," Gavaskar gave his verdict on Kohli's troubles.
India's next Test assignment is in England starting in June when they face Ben Stokes-led side for a five-Test series.
