India’s Virat Kohli lets no criticism go unanswered in another petulant display

VIRAT Kohli has made it clear this week that he takes almost all criticism levelled at him personally and can hold a grudge as deep as anyone in world cricket.

VIRAT Kohli’s machine gun approach to last night’s explosive press conference in Bangalore took pointed aim at former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy who had earlier stated he was losing respect for the Indian captain.

Kohli has made it clear this week that he takes almost all criticism levelled at him personally and can hold a grudge as deep as anyone in world cricket.

Steve Smith’s pre-Test claim that India would be feeling the pressure caught the ire of captain angry immediately, and he even took exception to Nathan Lyon’s use of the phrase “cut the head off the snake and the body will fall”, even though the Australian spinner couldn’t have been any more praiseworthy of Kohli in that interview’s full context.

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However, despite being engaged in a Test match, Kohli also refused to turn a blind eye to Healy’s assertion that he was disrespecting Australian players and umpires with his sustained, aggressive on-field approach.

Healy said he was losing respect for Kohli, but last night Kohli made it clear he has no respect for anyone who crosses his path.

“In his eyes?” taunted Kohli.

“We’ve got 1.2 billion people in India, one person doesn’t make a difference in my life.”

Virat Kohli blasted Ian Healy over his comments on him & Steve Smith act of cheating in the post match press conference.#IndvAus pic.twitter.com/gy61dYrIai

— Troll Cricket (@TrollCricket3) March 7, 2017

Kohli then went on to call Healy out for an incident in the wicketkeeper’s own career in South Africa 1997, when he didn’t respect the umpire’s call — threw his bat as he entered the dressing room — and was subsequently punished by the game.

“Also you need to go and search on You Tube when he was given out down the leg side,” Kohli urged Indian reporters.

“I heard he said something about me not having good behaviour with the umpires.

“I think you all should You Tube that video and I think that says it all.”

Healy did not miss Kohli earlier in the Test match, but he wasn’t alone, with Steve and Mark Waugh among those to question the Indian captain’s attitude and behaviour.

“The pressure is starting to tell on (Kohli),” Healy told Melbourne’s SEN radio earlier in the week.

“I’m losing respect for him. He’s not only now continuing his disrespect of the Australian players and umpires, but I think he’s putting pressure on his own players now.

“I’ve said in the past, he’s the best batsman I’ve ever seen. His feistiness and real aggression towards the opposition has been good (in the past), especially when he wasn’t captain.

“It would lead his team with him. They’re more timid than they look and they let on, the Indian cricketers.

“So Kohli’s aggression was good for them. But I think it’s not good for them anymore.

“He’s really putting some pressure on (his players).

“You can read pressure all over Ravi Ashwin’s face.

“I think there’s massive cracks showing in (Kohli). He’s got to be a lot more respectful of his opponents.

“The stuff he did with Steve Smith was unacceptable.”