Virat Kohli was fined 20% of his match fee and received a demerit point after an incident with Australia’s Sam Konstas on the first day of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The incident happened after Konstas, on his debut, frustrated the Indian fielding side with his aggressive batting. Australia, after winning the toss, reached 311/6 by the end of the day, with Konstas making 60 runs. Other Australian players like Usman Khawaja (57), Marnus Labuschagne (72), and Steve Smith (68*) also contributed to the total.
The altercation occurred at the end of the 10th over when Kohli walked past Konstas. The two collided shoulder to shoulder, leading to a heated exchange. Kohli, visibly upset, seemed to approach Konstas before being stopped by umpire Michael Gough and Khawaja.
The incident was deemed a Level 2 offence by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for inappropriate physical contact between players. Konstas, however, remained calm, saying that what happens on the field stays there.
Despite the confrontation, Konstas had a strong performance, hitting several bold shots before being dismissed LBW by Ravindra Jadeja. Jasprit Bumrah also stood out with the ball, taking 3/75.
