Kohli free to play after ‘absolutely unnecessary’ clash with Konstas

Virat Kohli is free to play in the Sydney Test after avoiding a suspension for his physical altercation with Australia’s boy wonder Sam Konstas during a dramatic start to the Boxing Day Test.

In a statement on Thursday night, the International Cricket Council announced that Kohli would be fined 20 per cent of his match fee and penalised one demerit point for breaching the code of conduct.

India’s Virat Kohli (right) engages with young Australian opener Sam Konstas after a physical clash.Credit: AP

“No formal hearing was needed as Kohli accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft,” the statement read.

The penalty is the same as that handed to India paceman Mohammed Siraj for his send-off to Travis Head during the second Test in Adelaide.

Kohli accepted the sanctions hours after he appeared to make forceful contact with his shoulder to Konstas. The clash sparked a heated exchange between the pair in the first session.

Kohli appeared before Pycroft in his office in the bowels of the MCG while Konstas was giving his press conference in the neighbouring room.

“I’m not aware of what happened, why it happened and if anything happened. When you play a game like that there’s always going to be emotions. I’m pretty sure it’s not as big as it seems,” India assistant coach Abishek Nayar said after the day’s play.

Former umpire Simon Taufel and greats from Australia and India, including Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer and Ravi Shastri, had said Kohli should at the very least come under the scrutiny of the match referee.

The clash between Kohli and Test debutant Konstas, who are separated by 17 years and 541 games of international experience, was the flashpoint on a spicy first day when tensions between both sides rose along with the mercury.

Kohli also raised the hackles of Marnus Labuschagne after returning a throw provocatively close to the Test No.3, while paceman Mohammed Siraj was also upset after he and Labuschagne almost collided as the batter was completing a run.

The Konstas incident happened as the teenager tore apart India pace weapon Jasprit Bumrah in an extraordinary performance on debut, whacking 60 off 65 balls, including two sixes playing a ramp shot – a stroke more commonly seen in the Twenty20 format instead of the first morning of a Test.

Kohli, who had been fielding in the cordon, moved into Konstas’ line of path on the edge of the Test strip as the young gun was walking to meet opening partner Usman Khawaja for a mid-pitch conference in between overs.

While it is difficult to tell definitively what Konstas said to Kohli in their exchange after the bump, Konstas, 19, appears to say “Don’t walk in my path” to Kohli, 36, in footage shown by Fox Cricket.

Umpire Michael Gough intervened to defuse the situation while Khawaja wrapped his arm around Kohli in a bid to calm down the India batting great, who had a reputation for being a firebrand early in his career before becoming one of cricket’s statesmen as his standing rose through his on-field deeds.

Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas clash.Credit: Seven

In an interview with Seven, Konstas said: “I think the emotions got to both of us. I didn’t quite realise. I was doing my gloves [when there was] a little shoulder charge but it happens. It’s cricket.”

As a side note, Konstas rated Kohli above Steve Smith as his favourite player to watch as part of a social media promotion on the ICC’s Instagram account during this year’s under-19s World Cup.

It has been a turbulent few days for Kohli, who was involved in an argument with Australian media when he believed that they had filmed his kids at Melbourne Airport last week.

The ICC’s code of conduct prohibits inappropriate physical contact between players. ICC match referee Andy Pycroft will need to assess whether the contact was “deliberate, reckless, negligent and/or avoidable”.

The umpire speaks to the players as Virat Kohli clashes with Sam Konstas.Credit: Getty Images

The code states: “Any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket. Without limitation, players will breach this regulation if they deliberately, recklessly and/or negligently walk or run into or shoulder another player or umpire.”

Taufel had initially believed the match referee would look favourably on Kohli but reassessed after watching from another angle.

“This long shot that’s been provided by the director is really interesting because it shows Virat Kohli actually changing his line to get into the personal space of Sam Konstas,” Taufel said on Seven.

“Now, there’s a clause within the ICC code of conduct that talks about inappropriate physical contact and that’s the clause that the umpires and the referee will be looking at, at close of play today to see whether or not Virat’s actions fall into that category and my suggestion would be that they’ll probably – looking at that seriously – more than likely do something about that now.”

South Africa pace ace Kagiso Rabada was suspended for two Tests for “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player” after a similar incident with then Australian captain Steve Smith during the infamous series in 2018.

In that instance Rabada’s priors played a big part in his hefty ban for what the ICC deemed to be a level two offence. Handed three demerit points, it took his tally up to eight.

Ponting said Kohli was in the wrong by initiating the contact with Konstas.

“I have no doubt that the umpires and the referee will have a good look at that,” Ponting said.

“We’ve seen a few angles. I agree, fielders should be nowhere near the batsman at that stage. Every fieldsman on the ground knows where the batsmen will congregate and get together.

“It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late. Wouldn’t even know anyone is in front of him. That man on screen there [Kohli] might have a few questions to answer.

“Look at the way Virat walks. Virat walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever.”

Shastri, who coached India when Kohli was captain, said: “Absolutely unnecessary. I imagine the match referee will look at it very closely.”

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