Virat Kohli fined 20% of match fee after clash Sam Konstas in Boxing Day Test
Share:
India’s Virat Kohli has been fined 20% of his match fees following a clash of shoulders with the debutant Australia opener Sam Konstas in the Boxing Day Test between the sides in Melbourne on Thursday. Kohli was booed by the crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after bumping into the 19-year-old as Konstas walked down the pitch for a chat with opening partner Usman Khawaja at the end of the 10th over on the opening day of the fourth Test.
![[Umpires intervene after tensions boil over between Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas on day one.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/5643df2f71b3d4a62b246258db0e4112e986a539/710_0_5872_3525/master/5872.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/dec/26/australia-india-fourth-test-day-one-match-report. Kohli and Konstas turned to face each other and exchanged words, prompting umpire Michael Gough and Khawaja to step in to defuse the moment. Match referee Andy Pycroft found Kohli guilty of breaching the International cricket Council’s (ICC) code of conduct relating to “inappropriate physical contact”.
“No formal hearing was needed as Kohli accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft,” the ICC said in a statement. Kohli also incurred one demerit point but is free to play the fifth and final test in Sydney. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who was covering the game for host broadcaster Seven Network, said veteran batsman Kohli was clearly the offender. “That man [Kohli] might have a few questions to answer,” Ponting said. “When you’re out there batting, the batsman owns the wicket. The crease is his. Especially between overs like that.”.
