He may have been struggling with his own game and the tough conditions in India, but there was no stopping Matthew Wade in launching a scathing attack on the Indian captain Virat Kohli, during Thursday’s second ODI between India and Australia at Kolkata. (IND vs AUS 2nd ODI HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD)
Earlier this year, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was marred by several incidences on and off the field, and on Thursday, Wade’s verbal barrage against Kohli sparked the tensions once again.
Wade tore into the Indian captain when in the 33rd over, he was hit on the hand while collecting a delivery from Marcus Stoinis and failed to return the ball. Perfectly within the laws of the game, the Indians smartly took a single (as byes) initiated by Kohli.
The Australian wicketkeeper, who was writhing in pain for a while, got up and sledged Virat Kohli for taking the run.
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Wade was heard saying on the stump mic, “I might have a cry like you. I might go to the dressing rooms and have a good cry like you.”
“Everyone has to feel sorry for you,” he added as he walked past Virat Kohli during the change of overs, reported Wide World of Sports.
Kohli, who is known for never missing out on giving it back, was also seen replying to Wade. But since Kohli and his partner Kedar Jadhav were standing in the middle of the wicket, his words could not be heard.
However, Stoinis stood right behind his wicketkeeper and also went on to have a few words with Virat Kohli.
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Former fast bowler Stuart Clark was unimpressed with Australia’s reaction, as he felt the Indians had only taken one run and the entire episode was just a distraction. Clark told Sky Sports Radio, “He misfielded one. Whether the Indian batsman knew he was injured or not was probably a secondary question.”
“It’s one run. Is this the biggest issue this team has got? If I’m Matthew Wade and I’m Marcus Stoinis — and full credit to him for standing up for Matthew Wade — I’d be worrying about my own cricket, rather than all this other stuff.
“This is piddly crap,” he added.
“I wouldn’t be saying too much to Virat Kohli. He seems to want to fight with everyone and he seems to play 10 times better when he does fight with people,” Clark said.
Dressing Room Review System
The Test series earlier this year was replete with controversies, with Virat Kohli claiming at the end of the second Test at Bengaluru that Australians were taking help from the dressing room in deciding to take a DRS (Decision Review System) call or not. The laws do not allow cricketers to seek any assistance from outside while deciding on DRS calls.
The term was famously coined as ‘Dressing Room Review System’ — BCCI’s Twitter account leading India’s protest with a tweet — when Australia captain Steven Smith was spotted asking for assistance from the team dressing room during the Bengaluru Test.
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
On his part, Smith had claimed it as ‘brain fade’. “It was a bit of a brain fade on my behalf. I was looking at our boys, and shouldn’t have done that. It is probably the first time it has happened. It was probably a brain fade. But it shouldn’t have happened.”
But a furious Virat Kohli had ripped apart Australia’s attitude and that of their captain Smith. He went on to say that he would never be friends with Australian cricketers.
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“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.
“The thing I said before the first Test [about being friends], I have certainly been proven wrong, and you won’t hear me say that ever again,” Kohli added.
However, Kohli later went on to clarify that he was not befriending every Australian cricketer.
1/2 My answer at the post match conference has been blown way out of proportion. I did not categorically say the whole Australian team but
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli)March 30, 2017
2/2only a couple of individuals.I continue to be in good terms with the few guys I know & who I’ve played with at RCB & that doesn’t change.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli)March 30, 2017
India knocked over a hapless Australian batting line-up once again — powered by a hat-trick from Kuldeep Yadav — to take a 2-0 lead in the ongoing five-match series. The third ODI will be played on Sunday, September 24 in Indore.
Source: HindustanTimes