'One of the best barbecues I've seen': Lyon sledges Kohli over ...
‘One of the best barbecues I’ve seen’: Lyon sledges Kohli, Indian superstar reacts to crowd
Virat Kohli came close to an angry confrontation with the crowd after he was involved in a calamitous run out in which veteran spinner Nathan Lyon later pinned him as the guilty party.
Kohli was almost out of sight from the crowd in the players’ race after his dismissal before he returned to glare at hecklers. An ICC official then placed a consolatory arm around his shoulder and shepherded him down the race.
It is not clear from the video of the incident that surfaced on social media on Friday night what sparked Kohli’s backturn, and though boos were clearly audible, no racial or personal abuse could be heard.
Cricket Australia and the Melbourne Cricket Club had not received a complaint from the Board of Control for Cricket in India at the time of publication. The BCCI have been contacted for comment.
It has been a dramatic few days for Kohli, who was docked 20 per cent of his match fee for making physical contact with Sam Konstas on the Boxing Day. Last week, he angrily confronted Australian media over his belief that they were filming his family.
Kohli was raucously jeered by the crowd as he walked to the crease to start his innings. A pitch invader also made contact with him while he was in the field.
Steve Smith’s second century in as many Tests propelled Australia to a big first-innings total on Friday before a disastrous mix-up between Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal ended in the young opener being run out and sparked a flurry of Indian wickets late in the day.
Australia are now firmly in control of the Test, with India reaching stumps at 5-164 in response to Australia’s total of 474 – the home side’s highest total since last year’s fixture against Pakistan in Perth.
Jaiswal’s first-innings scores of zero, zero and four this series have not made for pretty reading, but his entertaining 82 on Friday laid a solid platform for his team.
On a day when Rohit Sharma (3) missed out again and pressure intensified further on the visiting captain following his torrid run of form, Jaiswal was poised for another triple-figure score before he was sent back by a ball-watching Kohli at the non-striker’s end.
Jaiswal clipped a ball to mid-on and took off for a run. Although it was Jaiswal’s call – the ball was hit in front of the wicket – Kohli wasn’t interested and reached back to put his bat in the crease. Australia took the bails with both batsmen stranded at one end.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is dejected as he walks off the MCG. Credit: Getty Images
It ended a 102-run partnership, leaving India precariously placed at 3-153. Shortly afterwards, with 15 minutes remaining in the day, Kohli edged a Scott Boland delivery through to Alex Carey to perish for 36. Boland, the hometown hero, ran through with a huge grin on his face as more than 85,000 supporters acknowledged what was potentially series-turning wicket.
Boland also removed nightwatchman Akash Deep for a 13-ball duck, wrapping up a productive day for Australia.
Lyon said there was no doubt in his mind that Kohli, India’s chief antagonist on day one following a physical confrontation with debutant Sam Konstas, was the man at fault in the run-out.
“It was probably one of the best barbecues I’ve seen, to be honest with you,” Lyon said on ABC Radio after play. “It came out of the blue. They were doing it pretty easy out there … pressure does funny things. Silly run-outs are coach killers, aren’t they? It was pretty special.”
Australia celebrate Jaiswal’s run-out.Credit: Getty Images
Smith said the moment had changed the momentum of the match.
“I thought we were in for a bit of a masterclass there,” Smith said. “I was running in pretty excited. It was a nice wicket. It was a huge last hour for us. That was a big play in the context of the day.”
Earlier, Smith more than doubled his overnight total of 68 to record his seventh-highest score in Australia and best since a knock of 200 not out against the West Indies in Perth two summers ago.
For a time on Friday, Smith looked poised to bring up his 10,000 Test run. He began his innings needing 191 to emulate a feat achieved by only three Australians: Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.
It wasn’t to be, but if Smith can make 51 in his next four innings he will become the fifth fastest in history to reach the magical five-figure mark.
Steve Smith celebrates his century on Friday.Credit: Getty
“To get some milestones along the way, that’s cool, but it’s not the reason I play,” Smith said. “I’ve played the game for long enough now to know that you can have your ups and downs.”
Not since the 2019 Ashes has Smith made hundreds in consecutive Tests in the same series.
Smith’s century in Brisbane was scratchy as he tinkered with his technique on the run and found strength from simply surviving.
On Friday, there was a thick outside edge off Jasprit Bumrah that took him from 70 to 74. Next over, an unperturbed Smith walked down the pitch at Deep and crunched a glorious square drive for a boundary.
It was a shot with minimal foot movement to a ball well outside the off stump, but the speed of Smith’s hands and impeccable timing was evidence enough to demonstrate that the 35-year-old still has a few good years left.
Smith now has 264 runs for the series – second to Travis Head (409) on the list of Australian runscorers – at an average of 44, having been caught twice down the leg side.
He brought up his 11th hundred against India and 34th in Tests with a delightful cover drive that pierced the infield perfectly.
The crowd imitate Sam Konstas … and he loves every moment.Credit: Getty Images
Only six players have more Test hundreds – Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), Ricky Ponting (41), Kumar Sangakkara (38), Joe Root (36) and Rahul Dravid (36).
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Konstas didn’t bat or bowl on Friday, but the TV cameras still followed the 19-year-old sensation all day. As Smith and Cummins brought up Australia’s first seventh-wicket partnership of more than 100 runs in eight years, broadcasters wanted constant shots of Konstas in the dugout, the day after his stunning 60 on debut.
Boasting an extra 100,000 Instagram followers, Konstas was humbled when he misfielded a ball early in India’s innings.
The nerves had subsided by the final session as Konstas stretched his arms on the boundary line and had sun-kissed fans imitating him like he was Merv Hughes in the 1980s.
As Lyon walked in to bowl at Kohli, Konstas clapped above his head to get spectators going in Bay 13. Energy was high all day.
Australia went wicketless for 26 overs late in the day before the three dramatic late wickets swung the match.
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