‘Magic moment’: Virat Kohli overheard sledging Steve Smith

Former Australian coach Justin Langer has revealed the choice words Virat Kohli delivered to Steve Smith before play in the WTC final.

Virat Kohli was overheard sledging Steve Smith. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images for Surrey CCC)

Justin Langer has spilt the beans on a conversation between Virat Kohli and Steve Smith on the morning of day four of the World Test Championship final.

Before a day which saw Cameron Green branded a “cheat” by Indian fans and Australia finish the day needing seven wickets to wrap up the match, there was what Langer described as a “magic moment” between the two battling legends.

“Virat Kohli walked up to Steve Smith and said ‘rubbish shot yesterday’,” Langer revealed during commentary for Channel 7.

“Steve Smith just looked at him. If anyone else would have said it he would have gone ‘whatever’.

“But he said, “that’s right, it was a rubbish shot’.

“If 99.9 per cent of the population said that to Steve Smith he would go ‘whatever’. But coming from Virat, one genius to another, he goes ‘OK, fair enough’.”

Steve Smith looks skyward after that “rubbish” shot. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Smith, who became the second-fastest player to 31 centuries with a ton in the first innings, looked like a complete impostor as he fell to a rash shot against Ravi Jadeja in his second dig.

Commentators were stunned as Smith charged down the pitch and attempted to flay the spinner over mid-wicket, only to sky the shot to cover.

“That didn’t happen. The great Steve Smith has played a Saturday afternoon slog,” Harsha Bhogle said. “It will take some time for that to sink in. Good to know even the greats have moments like that.”

Smith charges Jadeja but only succeeds in hitting it straight up! #WTCFinal | https://t.co/CAC5IeXwcspic.twitter.com/FVUzHpQdoc

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) June 9, 2023

It was a moment of revenge for Kohli after Smith caught him for 14 in the first innings.

Kohli made no such mistakes on day four as he raced to 44 not out at stumps off 60 balls to carry India’s hopes of chasing the remaining 280 runs needed for victory on his back.

The scale of India’s task was emphasised by the fact that only four teams in 146 years of Test cricket have made more than 400 to win in the fourth innings, with the West Indies’ 418-7 against Australia at St John’s in 2003 the highest such total.

Australia, by contrast, require just seven more wickets Sunday to win the only major global men’s trophy to have so far eluded them and ensure they head into next week’s Ashes opener against England at Edgbaston in buoyant mood.

India captain Rohit Sharma set the initial tone for a daunting chase with several boundaries, including a pulled six off left-arm quick Mitchell Starc.

But on the stroke of tea, opening partner Shubman Gill fell to a controversial catch when Cameron Green, who had taken an undisputed blinder in the first innings to remove Rahane, dived low to his left following an edge off Scott Boland.

The decision was referred by the on-field umpires to TV official Richard Kettleborough.

And with the ‘soft signal’ recently abolished, there was no on-field guidance for Kettleborough to follow in determining if the ball had brushed the turf after Green had grabbed hold.

India's Virat Kohli carries the hopes of a nation. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Kettleborough eventually ruled in Australia’s favour, prompting chants of “cheats, cheats, cheats” from the massed ranks of India fans in a crowd of nearly 25,000 when the decision was flashed up on The Oval’s giant screens.

Rohit and Cheteshwar Pujara continued to attack Australia’s quicks as India looked to go one better after losing the inaugural 2021 WTC final to New Zealand in Southampton.

Spin, however, proved Rohit’s undoing on a wearing pitch when he missed an attempted sweep against Nathan Lyon, bowling from around the wicket, with the batsman LBW for 43 off 60 balls despite his review.

India lost another wicket without adding another run when Pujara, renowned as a patient accumulator of runs, attempted an extravagant uppercut off Australia captain Pat Cummins only to guide a simple catch to wicketkeeper Alex Carey as he fell for 27.

But Kohli regained the initiative for India by clipping and driving Starc for boundaries greeted by chants of “Kohli, Kohli, Kohli” from his adoring fans in the stands.

Earlier, Australia made 270-8 in their second innings before Cummins declared. Marnus Labuschagne, the world’s top-ranked Test batsman, departed for his overnight 41 when he tentatively edged Umesh Yadav to Pujara at first slip.

Ravindra Jadeja, who had accounted for first-innings century-makers Steve Smith and Travis Head on Friday, again bowled well, with the left-arm spinner removing Green for 25 in a return 3-58 in 23 overs.

Jadeja’s miserly haul may have left India questioning their decision to omit star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, in order to play an extra seamer.

But Carey, missed in the slips on 41, played Pujara well while topscoring with 66 not out after adding a valuable seventh-wicket stand of 93 with the hard-hitting Starc (41).

– with AFP