The incident between Virat Kohli and Aussie debutant batsman Sam Constas during the India-Australia Test match being held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day has become a hot topic in the cricket world. Kohli’s shoulder bump into Constas as he was changing the crease after the over on the first day of play caused controversy. Negative comments are pouring in on social media over the incident.
Former Australian players Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have criticised Kohli’s behaviour, calling it a “disrespectful act”. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said it is monitoring the incident. According to the ICC rulebook, the incident could be investigated under Level 2.
In international cricket, physically touching an opponent is considered unsportsmanlike conduct. The match referee will consider whether the incident was intentional or careless. If it is considered a level-2 violation, Kohli could be given 3-4 demerit points. If this happens, he could also be given a match ban.
Meanwhile, Kohli’s fans are supporting him and saying that it was just a mistake. However, a discussion on this incident has become necessary to save the reputation of cricket. It remains to be seen how soon the ICC’s final decision will be taken. In the game too, India is working towards improving their performance and gaining control of the match.
