Former India captain Ravi Shastri expressed that he was not surprised by the exaggerated reaction of a section of the Australian media following Virat Kohli’s on-field confrontation with 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Shastri pointed out that the strong response was likely a reflection of Australia’s frustration, given their long winless streak against India in high-profile Boxing Day Tests.
A viral clip from a popular Australian newspaper featured a headline that read “Clown Kohli,” accompanied by a photo of the Indian star with a “clown’s nose.” The article criticized Kohli, referring to his shoulder contact with Konstas as a “pathetic bump” in the young player’s debut Test. The criticism extended beyond the media, with former Australian cricketers also condemning Kohli’s actions, which led to sanctions from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Despite speculation that Kohli could face a Test ban for a Level 2 offense, he was only fined 20 percent of his match fee by match referee Andy Pycroft.
Shastri, in an interview with Star Sports, explained that such reactions were expected, especially given Australia’s desperate situation. “You expect that in a home country. I wish our country would stand up for our players in situations like this in a bigger way. I’m not surprised by this at all, simply because Australia hasn’t won here in 14–15 years. The last time they won a Test match at the MCG was in 2011. So, when they get an opportunity to go berserk, they will go berserk,” he said.
Shastri also suggested that the heightened criticism was rooted in Australia’s desperation to secure a win in the ongoing series, which was tied 1–1. “You’re three matches into the series, the scoreline is 1–1, and you’ve still not won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. You’ve got to win at Melbourne. So, all these things creep in,” he added.
Shastri, who has toured Australia multiple times, noted that the entire nation, including the media and crowds, rallies behind the Australian team, which may explain the intense response. He believed that if Australia had already led the series 2–0 or 3–0, the media’s reaction might have been different. “This has been building up over time, and it had to come out somewhere. Someone had to be the target,” he said. He also mocked the media’s portrayal of Kohli, jokingly adding, “They got the opportunity with that physical incident yesterday. They said, ‘This is our chance; let’s get pens and paintbrushes out and start doing all sorts of things.’”
Furthermore, Shastri defended the ICC’s decision not to impose a harsher penalty on Kohli, stating that the match referee had followed the appropriate protocols. He pointed to a past case in 2018 involving South African pacer Kagiso Rabada and Australian batsman Steve Smith. Rabada received a Level 3 charge for a confrontation with Smith, but after an appeal, the punishment was reduced to a Level 1 offense with a 25 percent fine. Shastri suggested that this set a precedent for similar incidents, emphasizing that the ICC’s decision-making process was thorough and based on established guidelines.
“The match referee has done his job; the fine has been set at 20% of his match fee,” Shastri said. “There’s a precedent. Rabada was charged with a Level 3 punishment, but it was brought down to Level 1 and a 20% fine after an appeal. So, there’s a benchmark. The umpires take into account players’ past conduct and follow a voting process to determine the decision.”
Shastri concluded by stating that the matter was in the hands of the match referee and the ICC technical committee, and there was little room for further appeal or dispute.
Notably, Shastri was one of the first to criticize Kohli for the on-field incident, acknowledging that the act was not in line with the Indian captain’s stature. However, he ultimately supported the ICC’s decision, emphasizing that the proper processes had been followed.
