Melbourne, 26 December (UITV) – On the first day of the Melbourne Test, an interesting confrontation took place between India’s senior player Virat Kohli and Australia’s Test debutant Sam Constas. This incident happened during the 10th over of the match, when Kohli and Constas collided with each other on the pitch after the end of the over. Immediately after this collision, there was a verbal argument between the two players, but this altercation did not last long and Australian batsman Usman Khawaja intervened between the two and reduced the tension.
During the replay, it was seen that Constas was going towards the other end and at that time Kohli was coming towards the crease with the ball in his hand from outside the pitch. During this time, both the players collided with each other. Talking to Channel Seven, Constas said, “I really could not understand what happened. I was fixing my gloves and then the shoulders collided, but this is a part of cricket and it happens sometimes.” Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, while commentating, said, “Look at the way Virat is walking. Virat was going towards the right side of the pitch and this collision started from his side.” This statement of Ponting highlights the fact that Kohli was the player who changed his direction and due to this the collision happened.
Discussing this incident, Channel Seven analyst and international umpire Simon Taufel termed it as improper physical behavior under the ICC Code of Conduct and said, “When we look at the long shot provided by the director, it is clearly visible that Virat Kohli is changing his line and coming in the line of Constas. There is a provision in the ICC Code of Conduct that deals with improper physical behavior. Now after the end of the day’s play, it will have to be seen whether this behavior of Kohli comes under the purview of the ICC Code of Conduct or not. I think the umpires and referees will be taking this matter seriously.” Although the controversy was limited to a part of the first day of the match, there is no clear information yet on whether it affected the game after that. However, this incident highlights the importance of sportsmanship and physical contact on the cricket field.
19-year-old Sam Constas made a great start to his Test career today and completed his half-century in just 52 balls during his Test debut. When he clashed with Virat Kohli, he was playing on 27 runs off 38 balls, but after that, Constas batted brilliantly and played some amazing scoop and ramp shots off Jasprit Bumrah. These shots won the hearts of the audience. Constas scored 60 runs off 65 balls with six fours and two sixes. His brilliant innings gave the Australian team a strong start.
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Although Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Konstas before the lunch break, his performance proved that he is ready to make his mark in Test cricket as well. Konstas’ brilliant half-century in the debut match and his aggressive shot play later shows that he has soon made his mark in Australian cricket.
This match created many exciting moments for Indian and Australian cricket fans, while on one hand the confrontation between Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas stirred up the game for some time, Konstas’ batting gave it another interesting twist. This development proved that cricket is not just a game, but it is a place where players face challenges both mentally and physically.
After all, after the first day of this match, all eyes were on whether any action would be taken against Virat Kohli or not and whether Sam Konstas’ performance would start a new chapter for him in Test cricket.
