Konstas later brushed the incident aside but Ponting said on commentary that Kohli “instigated that confrontation”
India’s senior batter Virat Kohli and Australia’s 19-year-old debutant Sam Konstas had a mid-pitch altercation in the first session of the ongoing MCG Test. The incident occurred after the 10th over of the morning when Kohli and Konstas bumped shoulders while moving across the pitch between overs.
Both players immediately looked back for a heated exchange of words before Konstas’ opening partner Usman Khawaja and umpire Michael Gough interrupted to cut the altercation short.
Replays that emerged later in the session showed that Konstas had turned around from the crease after the last ball of the 10th over and was walking straight towards the other end whereas Kohli – while tossing the ball in his hand – went from way outside the pitch straight towards Konstas and bumped into him.
“I think the emotions got to both of us,” Konstas later told Channel 7 in the second session. “I didn’t quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.”
“Have a look at where Virat walks,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting observed while commentating on Channel 7 while watching the replay of the incident. “Virat’s walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind, whatsoever.”
Former umpire Simon Taufel also spoke to Channel 7 about the incident and said Kohli changing his path could qualify as “inappropriate physical contact” under the ICC’s Code of Conduct.
“This long shot that’s been provided by the director is really interesting because it shows Virat Kohli actually changing his line to get into the personal space of Sam Konstas. Now, there’s a clause within the ICC Code of Conduct that talks about inappropriate physical contact and that’s the clause that the umpires and the referee will be looking at, at close of play today to see whether or not Virat’s actions fall into that category and my suggestion would be that they’ll probably – looking at that seriously – more than likely do something about that now.”
Konstas made his Test debut with a stunning half-century off just 52 balls, by taking on the best bowler of the series, Jasprit Bumrah, who had dismissed Nathan McSweeney four times in six innings in the first three Tests. Konstas replaced McSweeney for this Test and struggled to 5 off 21 after being beaten several times before moving to 27 off 38 at the time of the altercation with Kohli. By then he had reverse-scooped Bumrah for a six over the slips which had followed a more straightforward scoop that had fetched him four runs after moving across and flicking the ball over the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Konstas finished on 60 off 65 with six fours and two sixes, having scored 34 off 33 against Bumrah and 20 off 19 opposite Mohammed Siraj.
Tests between India and Australia have been high-intensity and known to throw up such altercations and controversies, especially involving Kohli. He had once collided – when he was captain – for an altercation with the opposite captain Tim Paine in 2018, and had a duel with Mitchell Johnson while scoring a stunning century in Adelaide in 2014.
