Courtesy: 7Cricket
Australia's debutant Sam Konstas gave his take on the "shoulder clash" with Indian senior batter Virat Kohli after going past his fifty in his first Test innings. The 19-year-old player had a memorable debut smashing six fours and two sixes, to reach 60 off 65 in the first session of the ongoing Boxing Day Test of BGT series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, the match's highlight was his shoulder brush with Kohli after the 10th over. Both players had a heated exchange of words before Konstas' opening partner Usman Khawaja and umpire Michael Gough intervened to end the fight.
The cricket world started debating whether the ICC should take stern action against Viart Kohli. Reacting to the incident, Konstas said he didn't realize as he was just taking care of his gloves after the end of the over. "Virat Kohli is your favorite player in the world and all of a sudden you are in the thick of battle out there, he throws a little shoulder. What was being said out there? asked Trent Copeland, to which Same replied, "I think emotions got to both of us. I didn't realize. I was just doing my gloves when I got the little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket."
Watch Sam Konstas' first reaction to Virat Kohli shoulder clash:
Australian legends demand action against Virat Kohli
The cricket world has set up a debate on whether the ICC should take stern action against the former India captain. Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan felt Kohli was to blame, and ICC match referee Andy Pycroft should look into the problem. "Have a look at where Virat walks," former Australia captain Ricky Ponting commented on the entire clip that is going viral. "Virat's walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind, whatsoever," he said. Former umpire Simon Taufel said that Kohli changing his path could qualify as "inappropriate physical contact" under the ICC's Code of Conduct.
Konstas made his Test debut with a half-century off only 52 balls, facing the series' top bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. He scored 14 and 18 runs in the final two overs of Bumrah. The five-match series is tied at 1-1 after a rainy draw in Brisbane. Australia made two changes to the team that controlled the drawn test in Brisbane. Seamer Scott Boland is the replacement for Josh Hazlewood, who suffered a calf muscle issue in Brisbane. Konstas replaced Nathan McSweeney, a struggling opener.
