Virat Kohli’s response to being booed by Australian fans during the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has gone viral. On Day 2 of the match, the MCG crowd jeered Kohli every time he approached the boundary ropes. The chants offensive remarks which were captured in a viral video shared on social media. Despite the taunts, the 36-year-old remained unfazed and even encouraged the crowd to shout louder as he fielded at the boundary.
The incident occurred following a physical altercation on Day 1, when Kohli shoulder-barged Australian debutant Sam Konstas. For the act, Kohli was fined 20% of his match fee by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
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In one instance, Kohli was seen retrieving his sunglasses after stopping a boundary. As the crowd continued to boo him, Kohli responded by spitting out his chewing gum and staring down the fans.
Konstas, who made his international debut on Thursday, scored 60 runs off 65 balls. He shared an opening partnership of 89 runs with Usman Khawaja before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja. Australia posted a total of 474 runs, with contributions from Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, and Pat Cummins.
Kohli, who began the series with a single-figure score in Perth before scoring an unbeaten century in the second innings, has struggled in recent matches. His scores of 7, 11, and 3 have invited criticism. India faces a challenging task in Melbourne as Australia has built a commanding total led by Steve Smith's 140 and three half-centuries from the top order.
Jasprit Bumrah (4/99) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/75) shared seven wickets between them as Australia dominated the first day and a half of the Test.
