The 'berserk' response of Australian media to Virat Kohli's on-field altercation with 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, did not surprise the former India head coach Ravi Shastri. Given the host team's dismal streak versus India in the crucial Boxing Day matches, Shastri said the exaggerated response demonstrates their desperation.
Australian newspaper's pathetic post
On Friday morning, a screenshot of the sports page from a well-known Australian newspaper went viral on social media. The article's headline, 'Clown Kohli' featured a picture of the Indian superstar sporting a clown's nose. "Indian sook slammed for pathetic bump in teen's dream Test debut," it said, alluding to Kohli's shoulder contact with the youthful Konstas.
The International Cricket Council sanctioned Virat Kohli after former Australian cricket players denounced the senior batsman's gesture. Although it was thought that Kohli may be banned from the Tests for a Level 2 transgression, match referee Andy Pycroft on Thursday fined the Indian batting sensation 20% of his match fee instead of suspending him.
Ravi Shastri reacts to the post
"You expect that in a home country. I wish our country would stand up for our players in situations like this in a bigger way. I am not surprised by this at all, simply because Australia hasn’t won here in 14–15 years. The last time they won a Test match at the MCG was in 2011. So, when they get an opportunity to go berserk, they will go berserk," Ravi Shastri told Star Sports.
"In many ways, it’s a little bit of desperation. You know, you are three matches into the series, the scoreline is 1–1, and you have still not won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. You know, you’ve got to win at Melbourne. So, all these things creep in. I’ve been to Australia many, many times. It’s like the whole country comes behind the team—not just the crowds, but the media as well. I am not surprised because I see that sense of desperation. If Australia had already been 3–0 or 2–0 up, the headlines might have been different."
"I know where that’s coming from. It’s built up over a period of time, and it had to come out somewhere. Someone had to be the target. Then they got the opportunity with that physical incident yesterday. They said, ‘This is our chance; let’s get pens and paintbrushes out and start doing all sorts of things.’ You saw that thing on Virat Kohli’s nose. I mean, they forgot to paint the seam there—that would have been a ball," he added.
Notably, Ravi Shastri was one of the first to denounce Virat Kohli for Thursday's altercation on the field. When he stated that Kohli's behaviour was unworthy of his status, the former head coach did not hold back. Virat Kohli was later fined 20 per cent of his match fee for that altercation.