Kohli hurled bottle at Oz official: Report
MUMBAI: The Decision Review System controversy that erupted during the second Test in Bangalore is refusing to die down with a report in an Australian newspaper now accusing India captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble of indecent behaviour.
On Thursday, Daily Telegraph alleged that India skipper Virat Kohli had hurled an energy drink bottle which hurt an Australian team official.
It also accused India coach Anil Kumble for storming into the umpires’ room to seek clarification over Kohli’s leg-before dismissal in the first innings.
The report went on to say that Kumble has reclaimed ‘his role as the puppeteer behind the scenes’ following his role in the Monkeygate scandal during India’s tour to Australia in 2007-08.
“Kohli might be the aggressor in the brazen campaign India is running against Australia’s integrity — even striking an Australian official with an orange Gatorade bottle — but coach Kumble, one of the main instigators of the Monkeygate fiasco, would appear to have reclaimed his role as the puppeteer behind the scenes,” the report said. NO RESPONSE
The report, however, does not have the response of the Indian team management or the BCCI.
“It’s understood Kumble has also made his fury known about the actions of match referee Chris Broad during the Test, complaints which are now to be passed onto the ICC by the BCCI,” the report added.
The report accused Kohli of an outburst in the dressing room and throat-slitting gesture towards Peter Handscomb.
“It can be revealed he (Kohli) unleashed an astonishing outburst in the dressing rooms following his dismissal, smashing a Gatorade bottle off a table, where it then rebounded off a television and struck an Australian team official on the leg.
“Kohli was also seen swearing in the direction of the Australian box as he left the field and using a throat-slitting gesture to send-off Peter Handscomb late in the Test,” it said.
The report blamed Kohli for killing the spirit of the game. “The spirit of the game notion has been pronounced dead in the game many times before, but Kohli — a law unto himself — would appear to have killed it off once again.”