Steve Smith, Virat Kohli clash as India win second Test to level the series
Virat Kohli was fuming after an DRS incident on day four of the second Test. Photo: Fox Sports
Indian captain Virat Kohli has stopped just short of accusing Australia of cheating over their use of the DRS following a fiery end to the second Test in Bangalore.
A resolute India bounced back to level the series at 1-1 after the visitors were bundled out for 112 early in the final session on day four, 75 runs short of victory.
Steve Smith’s side had been set a target of 188 following an inspired fightback with the ball from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, but fell short after losing their last six wickets for just 11 runs.
But a heated clash between Smith and Kohli over the DRS and the Indian’s subsequent comments will dominate headlines going into the third Test at Ranchi on March 16.
Watch the incident below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd4Zsjrm-B8
Skippers clash
After Smith’s lbw dismissal on 28, as the game hung in the balance, Kohli stormed across the pitch and approached his opposite number.
Smith had appeared to look to the changeroom for guidance on whether to review his dismissal but was halted from doing so and sent on his way by umpire Nigel Llong.
Both umpires then took Kohli aside after the incident, giving him yet another talking to during what had been an incredibly spiteful Test.
At the post-match press conference, the Indian captain said he’d twice seen Australian players looking to the dressing room for help with the DRS.
“We’ve told the match referee also and the umpires that they’ve been doing that for the past three days and this has to stop. Because there’s a line that you don’t cross on the cricket field,” he said.
“I don’t want to mention the word but it falls in that bracket. I would never do something like that on the cricket field.”
Asked if the word was “cheating”, Kohli responded: “I didn’t say that, you did.”
It was one of a number of controversial moments from an enthralling four days of Test cricket.
Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin, Smith, Steve O’Keefe, Starc and Hazlewood could all be dragged in front of match referee Chris Broad, depending on how he viewed numerous flashpoints at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Kohli was dressed down by the umpires on a number of occasions. Photo: AP
Kohli was given a series of lectures throughout days two and four, with officials seemingly imploring him to tone things down and take control of chirpy teammates.
The Australian captain was booed during the post-match ceremony.
“We weren’t up to it today but I’m proud of the way the boys have competed over the last four days,” Smith said.
“It (the pitch) was quite hard to play … but Test match cricket isn’t supposed to be easy.
Mitchell Starc’s fiery burst got Australia back into the match, breaking Karun Nair’s stumps. Photo: AP
Speaking before Kohli in his press conference, Smith said looking up at the dressing room had been “a bit of a brain fade”.
“As far as I’m concerned the game was played in good spirits and nobody crossed the line,” he added.
Asked where the Bangalore win ranked in his career, Kohli described it as his best ever.
“This is the best one. By far the sweetest,” he said.
Australia collapses
Set 188 to win, Australia was unable to survive a pitch playing plenty of tricks and a chaotic series of events, crumbling in a collapse of 6-11.
Australia had complete control of the contest after Nathan Lyon’s record-breaking haul of 8-50 on day one but momentum shifted when Kohli adopted a more pugnacious and vocal approach in the field on day two.
Starc and Hazlewood, who grabbed a career-best haul of 6-67, inflicted a scarcely-believable collapse of 4-8 in just nine deliveries to help bowl India out for 274 in its second innings.
-with AAP