AUSTRALIAN captain Steve Smith and Indian rival Virat Kohli could find themselves in hot water with match officials after a thrilling and spiteful finish to the second Test in Bangalore.
India produced a spirited fightback on a day of hostile skirmishes out in the middle to win the Test by 75-runs.
While India is celebrating, the match has been overshadowed by the controversial actions of Smith and Kohli both on and off the field.
Here are all the big talking points from the second Test.
AUSSIE TEST GREAT SUPPORTS KOHLI BLOW-UP
The talisman.Source:AFP
AUSSIE Test great Stuart Clark has come out and supported Virat Kohli’s attempt to bully Aussie skipper Steve Smith, declaring the Indian skipper’s behaviour is made acceptable by the competitive and combative nature of cricket.
After constantly harassing Smith when the Aussie batsman was at the crease, Kohli sensationally gave the Aussie a heated send-off when the first drop was forced to walk to the pavilion after getting busted by umpire Nigel Llong appearing to seek direction from his own dressing room as he considered his LBW dismissal at the hands of Umesh Yadav.
Kohli then followed up his heated display on the field by stealthily accusing the Australian team of systematic cheating.
“I saw that two times happening when I was batting out there,” Kohli said.
“I pointed it out to the umpires and twice I have seen their players looking up there for information and that’s why I was adamant. When he turned back that’s why the umpire’s knew what was going on, we told the umpires they had been doing that for the last three days and that had to stop.
“There are lines you don’t cross on the cricket field.
“I would never do something like that on the field.”
It came after Steve Smith admitted he had a brain fade by deliberately looking for guidance from his own dressing room.
“He knows he can’t look up, (umpire) Nigel Llong did the right thing,” Clark told Fox Sports’ Bill and Boz.
“Virat Kohli went off and rightly so. It’s not the done thing. As Steve Smith said, it’s a brain fade because he should have thought about what he was doing. As soon as he looked up Nigel Llong was all over it. Well done to him, but Steve Smith, poor referral.”
Clark says Kohli was right to try to get under Smith’s skin and to react how he did when Smith looked up to the Australian team.
“It’s professional sport,” he said.
“What else are you going to do? Let him walk in and score a hundred and walk off and then they win. Get into him.
“You’ve opened up a can of works, but as long as it’s not racial or homophobic or any of that other stuff and it’s into him trying to put him off his game, I don’t particularly have a problem with that.”
AUSSIE TEST GREAT LABELS KOHLI A ‘PORK CHOP’
Carrying on.Source:AFP
FORMER Aussie quick Ryan Harris has ripped Virat Kohli to pieces over his overtly aggressive performance in the field for India throughout the second Test.
The fast-bowler labelled Kohli a “pork chop” for failing to act with the dignity normally demanded of his office as captain of India.
He said he would be shocked if Kohli’s behaviour is not scrutinised by match officials before the third Test.
“He’s not doing his captaincy of his country justice in my mind,” he said.
“That’s only my opinion. He can do that. He’s a very fiery person. I’ll be very surprised if we don’t hear anything about Virat Kohli after this Test match.
“He was carrying on like a pork chop to be honest.”
Harris was far from the only Australian to take offence at Kohli’s antics.
Aussie Test legend Mitchell Johnson may have been trying to take a subtle dig at Kohli over his dramatic press conference accusations when he posted this on Twitter.
Great Test match cricket #INDvsAUS Win, lose or draw being gracious is what a captain should be. Bring on the next Test!
— Mitchell Johnson (@MitchJohnson398) March 7, 2017
There were a lot of Australians who believe Kohli’s response to Smith’s act was just as bad as the original crime.
Plenty mentioning how much of a peanut I was on the footy field…your right I was.👍
Still had enough of Kohli’s carry on. #AUSvIND— Matthew Richardson (@mattricho0) March 7, 2017
Kohli whipping the crowd into a frenzy as India walked off really was something. Piling on pressure in every possible way. #INDvAUS
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) March 7, 2017
SMITH WAS VERY MISTAKEN
That’s gotta hurt.Source:AFP
STEVE Smith’s dismissal sparked the most heated moment of the second Test after the Aussie captain appeared to overstep the mark following his LBW.
Smith was trapped in front for 28 runs from a delivery by Umesh Yadav that hit the deck and died, staying low before crashing into Smith’s pads.
After being given out, Smith walked down the pitch to confer with non-striker Peter Handscomb, but appeared to break the rules by signalling to the Australian dressing room if he should challenge the call or not.
When Smith appeared to try and communicate with the Australian team in the stands, umpire Nigel Llong and Indian captain Virat Kohli came running in to demand that Smith’s challenge not be allowed to go ahead.
Llong raced down the wicket yelling, “No, no, no, no” at Smith. Kohli then arrived to give Smith a heated send off.
Former Australian captain Michael Clarke told Star Sport: “You can’t do that”.
“I’ll give Smithy the benefit of the doubt. He would not have been trying to do the wrong thing by the game, but he’s a smart young man.
“I think Steve Smith
“I think Steve Smith was looking into the change rooms there. I don’t think you can do that. You’ve got to make a decision.”
Looking at the dressing room for a signal to take the review??? Now….that’s CHEATING. #IndvAus
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 7, 2017
It’s chaos at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. Noisy, drama almost every ball, it’s hard to even think. How hard must it be in the middle! #INDvAUS
— Andrew Wu (@wutube) March 7, 2017
How can Steve Smith ask the dressing room if he’s out or not?
That’s simply unacceptable. #INDvsAUS— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) March 7, 2017
DRS – Dressing room review system? Smith tries to get some suggestions from the dressing room for a review https://t.co/2V488WaKEp#INDvAUS
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 7, 2017
Steve Smith will be reminded of this by India forever now. #INDvsAUS
— RK (@RK_sports) March 7, 2017
Fair to say Steve Smith lost a few fans there. #INDvsAUS
— RK (@RK_sports) March 7, 2017
Really disappointed with the way @stevesmith49 looked @ the dressing room 2 take a review.Totally against the spirit of the game😈 #INDvsAUS
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) March 7, 2017
HAZLEWOOD JOINS EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
The fast-bowler’s cartel is in control.Source:AP
JOSH Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc produced a ruthless spell of fast-bowling that will unfortunately be forgotten in the wash-up from the second Test.
The home side had looked comfortable at 4/146 before they lost 6/41, on the back of Starc and Hazlewood combining for four wickets in nine balls.
Hazlewood’s incredible sixth scalp of India’s second innings elevated him into some truly exclusive real estate in the record books.
Hazlewood, who had three wickets to his name at the end of day three, followed it up with another three wickets in one super spell to give him six wickets for the innings.
He finished with 6/67.
His removal of Umesh Yadav from a loose shot saw him become just the fifth Aussie quick to ever take six or more wickets in one innings on Indian soil.
His feat is something recent fast-bowling legends Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Jason Gillespie never achieved.
Lindwall, Davidson, McKenzie (twice), Dymock and now Hazlewood – the only Australian quicks to get Test 6-fors (or better) in India #INDvAUS
— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) March 7, 2017
Josh Hazlewood finishes with the best figures by an Australian quick in India for 37 years #INDvAUS
— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) March 7, 2017
Josh Hazlewood’s 6-67 is the best bowling by an Australian quick in India since 1979; Geoff Dymock 7-67 at Kanpur #INDvAUS
— Fox Sports Lab (@FoxSportsLab) March 7, 2017
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