Aussie cricket legend Ricky Ponting has weighed in on Virat Kohli’s ugly crowd moment late on day two of the fourth Test and says it shows the pressure seems to have gotten to the India superstar. Kohli was involved in a horrendous run-out with Yashasvi Jaiswal in Friday’s final session at the MCG, before being sent packing for 36 when he tried to attack Scott Boland and edged one behind to Alex Carey.
Kohli also shoulder-barged teenage Aussie debutant Sam Konstas on day one in an incident that saw him condemned around the cricket world. The India veteran was slapped with a one demerit point sanction and fined 20% of his match fee over the incident, with Ponting among those suggesting he should have been suspended.
Those dramas came after a mix-up at Melbourne airport before the fourth Test when Kohli clashed with members of the Australian media after believing they were filming his children without permission. The incidents seem to have taken their toll on the 36-year-old, who has been regularly targeted with sledging from home fans, particularly after the Konstas incident on Boxing Day.
Things came to a head on Friday afternoon when Kohli made his way back to the pavilion, off the back of the Jaiswal run-out that sparked an Indian collapse of 3-6. Home fans were giving it to Kohli as he made his way down the tunnel, and the veteran had to be escorted away after turning back and glaring angrily towards a section of the MCG crowd.
Ponting sympathised with Kohli after copping his fair share of sledging during a glittering playing career, particularly off English fans during Ashes series in the UK. But the former Aussie Test captain says he was surprised Kohli reacted to the crowd barbs and reckons the pressure has gotten to the India superstar.
Ricky Ponting thinks Virat Kohli is cracking under pressure
“It is going to happen everywhere around the world,” Ponting said on Seven’s coverage about the crowd sledging. “If I had have turned back every time I left the field in the UK there would have been incidents left, right and centre. You turn up (and) watch the game, enjoy the game, you don’t need to be saying anything to the players.
“The thing with him (Kohli), the situation he is in, the pressure he is under he will be hearing every little bit of negativity right now. He won’t be thinking about the good stuff, he won’t be thinking about the good luck he is having, and he will be hearing every little negative thing that is coming his way. We have all been there. You find yourself in that situation especially when you are overseas on away tours and your team is under pressure.”
Melbourne Cricket Club CEO Stuart Fox said he’d spoken to MCG ground staff and was confident home fans hadn’t overstepped the mark. And neither Kohli, nor Indian team officials decided to lodge an official complaint. “You’re never comfortable, just when you have fans heavily engaging with a player,” Fox told SEN.
“A bit of heckling happened, late, and Kohli has obviously popped his head back. I’d be concerned if it was really abusive and any physical contact or abuse, that’s pushing the boundaries.” Fortunately that wasn’t the case but Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar said he was unimpressed with the boos Kohli received. “The question that I always ask is what have you done in your own life that you feel that you have the authority to boo an achiever like that? That was completely uncalled for,” Gavaskar told Seven.
RELATED:
India started day three on 5-164 but lost two quick wickets as Scott Boland removed Akash Deep for a duck and Rishabh Pant for 28. Pant needlessly threw his wicket away trying to belt Boland to the boundary with a reckless shot that earned the ire of the cricket world and left India in a huge hole. Nathan Lyon then grabbed his first wicket of the match after trapping Ravindra Jadeja (17) LBW before lunch to ram home Australia’s advantage.
