Kohli did not mock Paine – BCCI
The Indian cricket board has taken the extraordinary step of issuing a statement denying Virat Kohli’s alleged ‘‘stand-in captain’’ sledge at Tim Paine took place, in another sign pressure is mounting inside the visiting team’s camp.
India’s quest to win an historic first series in Australia is hitting major hurdles in the wake of their heavy loss in Perth which levelled the four match series 1-1.
The defeat has been compounded by the negative publicity generated by their captain’s belligerent on-field behaviour, allegations of in-fighting and disharmony over team selection.
Only hours after Kohli had decreed that what happens on the field stays on the field, the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) slammed as ‘‘baseless’’ reports its captain had mocked Paine.
Kohli is alleged to have told his opposing number ‘‘I am the best player in the world and you are just a stand-in captain’’ during a tense second test in Perth.
It was understood broadcasters Seven and Fox Sports could not find audio of the alleged remark. That suggests no remark was made within the range of the stump microphones, but does not definitively prove it was not said.
‘‘These claims were based on hearsay and the BCCI would like to bring into notice that no such words were spoken on the field by the Indian captain,’’ the BCCI said.
There will be little sympathy for India in the Australian camp after the BCCI published a video from the fourth test in last year’s spiteful series in which former wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and then captain Steve Smith taunted Ravindra Jadeja about his inability to be picked for away tests.
That confrontation came before the International Cricket Council allowed networks to leave stump effect microphones on between balls.
Australia were the team that had their on-field behaviour under the microscope a fortnight ago, but now their opponents are the ones being scrutinised.
The seven-day break between tests could not have come at a better time for India, who, with Smith and David Warner out, will rarely get a better chance to defeat Australia in Australia.
India have massive headaches in their batting with so much riding on the blades of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. Some have quipped their batting starts at three and ends at five.
Openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay are out of sorts with neither player reaching 50. First drop Pujara has been required at the crease by the third over in three of India’s four innings.