Aussies no longer friends, declares Kohli
– Indian skipper Virat Kohli said he no longer considered Australian cricketers as friends after winning a tense Test series marked by bad blood yesterday.
Kohli, who remarked before the series that he was “really good friends” with some Australian players, said things had changed during the bitter contest between the world’s top two sides.
“I thought that was the case, but it has changed for sure. As I said in the heat of the battle, you want to be competitive but yeah I have been proven wrong,” he said in a post-match press conference.
“The thing I said before the
Dharamasala
first Test (about being friends), I have certainly been proven wrong, and you won’t hear me say that ever again.”
The 28-year-old skipper caused a furore in the second Test after accusing his counterpart Steven Smith of repeatedly abusing the decision review system.
Critics questioned Kohli’s conduct under pressure, and also his form in the series, with the right-hander scoring just 46 runs from five innings.
Tensions were exacerbated after the Indian captain was dubbed “the Donald Trump of sport” in an Australian newspaper, and former Test bowler Geoff Lawson accused him of acting like “your worst behaved player”.
A combative Kohli hit back at his critics, inviting his detractors to say or write what they feel about him.
“A very wise person told me that when a person is down, the weak come out to speak about him. It takes courage to talk about someone when they are on top,” he said.
“I have been pretty intense throughout this series. I really wanted to do well for the team. At times I have been in my own bubble and have let my emotions slip. I apologise for that,” said Smith yesterday. – AFP