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Former Australian cricketers Aaron Finch and Simon Katich have expressed disappointment over Virat Kohli's behaviour during the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, stating that the Indian star went "overboard" and "tarnished his reputation," as reported by Wisden.
The series ended in a 3-1 victory for Australia, who rebounded from their defeat in Perth with memorable wins in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. From India's perspective, the series raised concerns about the form of senior batters, particularly Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The latter, in particular, faced scrutiny not only for his dismissals but also for his on-field conduct. The most contentious moment came during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, where Kohli shoulder-charged Australian debutant Sam Konstas. The act earned him a fine of 20 per cent of his match fee and a demerit point from the ICC. Kohli also drew criticism for his actions during the fifth Test in Sydney. Captaining in the absence of Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, he made a provocative gesture by turning out his pockets, looking down his trousers, and mimicking the act of rubbing the ball. The gesture was seen as a weiled reference to the 2018 'Sandpapergate' scandal, which had resulted in severe punishments for three Australian players for ball-tampering. Finch, who has played alongside Kohli at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Katich, who coached the IPL team between 2019 and 2021, were among those who criticized the Indian captain. Speaking on ESPN's Around the Wicket show, Katich said as quoted by Wisden, "There's no doubt he (Kohli) has been a modern great of the game in all formats. But I think you have to question what sort of headspace he's been in on this tour to be doing that, making physical contact in Melbourne and then even the other unsavoury incident in Sydney with the sandpaper reference there with the pockets," as quoted by Wisden. "I mean that in itself - there was no need for that. It's old news so in a way I think he's tarnished his reputation somewhat on this tour, on and off the field," he noted. Finch said as quoted by Wisden, "It was just a level of frustration. I said last week it seemed as though he wanted to find conflict and confrontation - that's where he generally plays his best cricket. So he just went overboard on this tour. The bump, that was above and beyond anything I've seen on a field, and then the sandpaper, unnecessary." "But overall, I think he was trying to find something to ignite a fire in himself, but just wasn't up to it," he said. The previous evening, speculation in Australia suggested that Jasprit Bumrah had tampered with the ball when broadcast cameras caught an object falling from his shoe as he adjusted his footwear. However, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin quickly dismissed the claims, clarifying that the object was merely a finger protection pad and that no ball-tampering had occurred. Despite Kohli's attempts to respond to criticism, his on-field antics during the series have left a mixed impression, with some feeling he crossed the line in his bid to stand up for his team. (ANI)
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