Indian batting legend Virat Kohli faced one of the toughest patches of his career during India’s recent Test series (BGT) against Australia. Kohli’s performance throughout the series left everyone stunned. In a series of nine innings, Kohli could only manage to accumulate 190 runs. Kohli's performance was well below his usual standards.
He was dismissed cheaply on several occasions, falling prey to the outside off-stump deliveries. Kohli’s lack of runs was not only a blow to his own confidence but also to India’s chances in the series as they lost the series 1-3. Apart from his poor form, Kohli also made headlines for his on-field tussle with Australian rookie Sam Konstas. The pair bumped into each other before having a fiery exchange of words. Kohli appeared to bump into Konstas as he made his way past the Australian batter. Kohli also made 'Sandpaper Scandal' gesture on day three of the fifth Test, which didn't go down well with former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who felt that Kohli's acts put other team members under pressure.
"Kohli must understand that whatever he does to react to the crowd actually puts more pressure on his teammates, who also then become targets of the spectators," Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Kohli's run-in with Konstas earned him a lot of flak as he was seen at fault.
“What Kohli did with the shoulder bump is simply not cricket. Indians are not shy to retaliate if provoked, but here the provocation was simply not there. The one thing that players learn with experience is that it’s futile to try and get back at the crowds, who have come to have a good time, so booing players is never personal but just a way to entertain themselves. To react to that doesn’t do the player any good, and in fact does more harm," stated Gavaskar.