Sunil Gavaskar on Virat Kohli: Crowd responses create extra pressure on team

NEW DELHI: Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts on the bumping incident between Australia’s young talent Sam Konstas and India’s star player Virat Kohli, calling it "simply not cricket."
The incident unfolded on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in front of a sold-out crowd, dominating headlines for days. The tension began when Konstas faced off against Jasprit Bumrah, widely regarded as one of the world’s best pacers.

In a stunning display, the 19-year-old executed a flawless ramp shot off Bumrah, sending the ball over wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s head for six. The Indian team fell silent as the Australian crowd erupted in celebration.
Bumrah and the Indian team were visibly stunned, and Konstas continued to pile on the pressure, effortlessly finding the boundary.

As Konstas showcased his batting prowess, a fiery moment added further drama to the MCG spectacle. At the end of the 10th over, Kohli bumped shoulders with the debutant, sparking an exchange between the two players.
Usman Khawaja, Konstas’s batting partner, stepped in to diffuse the tension. While fans and former players weighed in on the incident, Gavaskar criticized Kohli’s reaction, stating it was "simply not cricket."
"That said, what Kohli did with the shoulder bump is simply not cricket. Indians are not shy to retaliate if provoked, but here the provocation was simply not there. The one thing that players learn with experience is that it's futile to try and get back at the crowds, who have come to have a good time, so booing players is never personal but just a way to entertain themselves," Gavaskar wrote in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Throughout the series, Kohli had several interactions with the Australian fans, who often ‘booed’ him. Kohli, in turn, didn’t shy away from reacting.
In the first session of the final BGT Test at the SCG, Kohli, seemingly riled by the crowd, mocked the sandpaper scandal from Australia’s 2018 tour of South Africa. Turning to the stands, Kohli displayed his empty pockets, referencing the infamous incident.
"To react to that doesn't do the player any good, and in fact, does more harm. Kohli must understand that whatever he does to react to the crowd actually puts more pressure on his teammates, who also then become targets of the spectators," Gavaskar added.

Kohli’s on-field antics were coupled with his struggles in form. After scoring an unbeaten century in Perth, he failed to maintain consistency throughout the series.
Repeatedly tempted by deliveries outside off-stump, Kohli succumbed, edging to the slips or wicketkeeper. Australian pacers exploited this weakness, restricting Kohli to just 190 runs at an average of 23.75 across eight innings, as India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1.
"With his continued failures to avoid nibbling at the deliveries around the off-stump, he failed to make the contribution that could have boosted the total," Gavaskar remarked about Kohli’s form.