Virat Kohli endures another day of drama as India’s grip on Border-Gavaskar Trophy loosens

He was jeered both on and off the MCG on Friday, but normally so proud and quick-gaited, Virat Kohli appeared a frustrated man as he tussled with fans in Melbourne, writes Robert Craddock.

Virat Kohli is starting to resemble a volcano spitting lava and on the verge of a bigger explosion.

Footage of Indian superstar Kolhi spinning on his heel when just about out of sight in the dressing room tunnel after his dismissal, then returning to eyeball angry fans, told its own story about the rising anxieties of this arduous Australian tour.

Kohli had nothing to apologise for the tunnel incident but it did appear to be a telling statement on his fraying mental state.

Had there not been an official present to shepherd him back towards the tunnel, who knows how the incident might have finished?

In the past week Kohli has exchanged words with television crews after a confusing and minor incident at the airport when he thought his family were being photographed.

Then he displayed appalling judgement to shoulder youngster Sam Konstas on his Test debut, receiving a paltry 20 per cent fine of his match fee.

No doubt his state of mind was tested by a brutal series of events on Friday afternoon when he and wonder boy Yashasvi Jaiswal shared a century partnership before Jaiswal ran himself out.

Or did he?

The youngster called for a run that simply was not on but back home in India big voices such as former Test batsman Sanjay Manjrekar said Kohli was to blame for the “cardinal sin’’ of ball watching and not running when he was called. There was also the issue of whether Kohli should have sacrificed his wicket for a man in far better form than he is.

Soon after Jaiswal’s exit, Kohli lost concentration and his wicket.

All afternoon he had been a model of conscientious discretion, letting baited hooks pass by outside off stump. Then he swallowed one whole from Scott Boland and was gone.

Yet again the Indian superstar found himself eyeball deep in chaos and drama – this time it wasn’t his fault but in the end it didn’t matter.

Virat Kohli almost recreated that incident with a CSK fan at Wankhede 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/35qDBKxuv3

— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) December 27, 2024

A Melbourne Cricket Ground Test match fightback which threatened to give India a solid foothold at stumps on day two, vaporised in an eye-blink and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy might well have gone with it.

On day two he was a drama-magnet again. India, who had made solid last session progress, lost three wickets just before stumps after an horrendous run out when boy wonder Yashasvi Jaiswal (82) ended up at the same end as Kohli.

For a while it seemed the only cuddle Kohli would receive at the MCG on Friday was from a man who was arrested.

A pitch invader drifted Kohli’s way in the first session and hugged Kohli who briefly hugged him back before security arrived to take him away.

Konstas and Kohli cut contrasting figures. While Kolhi buckled down for the batting fight with supreme concentration Konstas cut a relaxed, buoyant figure living a dream.

Sent to the Bay 13 boundary where Merv Hughes used to entertain the throng with clapping routines which they copied, Konstas channelled his inner Merv with some simulated stretching routines the crowd mimicked behind him.

He was so relaxed that at times he moved towards the fence and posed for selfies with the fans.

Kohli, until his dismissal, looked superb. Maybe the drama of the day before lit a fire within him but his focus was as steely as his mood was patient.

Before Kohli took the field there was enormous debate over the merit of the fine of 20% of his match fee

Former England captain Michael Vaughan told Fox Cricket he had no desire to see Kohli suspended but believes he should have apologised.

“All his match fee should have gone and I would have loved to have seen Virat last night just come out and apologise,’’ Vaughan said.

Fellow Fox voice and batting great Mark Waugh said the token fine was simply not be enough of a deterrent.

“It should’ve been a much more severe monetary fine,’’ Waugh said.

“If you’re going to fine him it should’ve been full match fee. You’ve got to have a deterrent. A full match fee for a lot of players would be a lot of money. It’s not a lot of money for Virat Kohli.