The on-field arguments between Virat Kohli and Mitchell Johnson remain one of the most memorable spats in India-Australia cricket rivalry and just when the Indian captain called for the upcoming series to be free from altercations, the former Aussie pacer couldn’t resist having a dig.
Johnson, while responding to Fox Sports Cricket’s tweet which had the comment by Kohli, he wrote, “I look forward to no Virat send-offs.”
The Australian cricketers in recent times have stopped sledging after the ball-tampering saga that shook the cricketing fraternity to its core. That the Aussies have abstained from sledging has led Kohli to call for a series, “without any altercation.”
Australian cricket in recent times is going through a phase of transition wherein they have looked away from their tactic of “win at all costs”.
Kohli found support in teammate Ishant Sharma as they said that it was on the hosts to decide on how to go about their style of play while guaranteeing the fact India wouldn’t start the verbal dingdong.
“I think that’s (no sledging policy) a very personal thing for them. But when it comes to getting engaged in an argument on the field or a fight as people want to call it excitedly, I have been completely ok with playing without the altercation,” Kohli had said.
The 30-year-old, once known for his aggressive behaviour and the on-the-face kind of conduct said that he has passed that phase in his career and is now more mature an individual.
“I am very happy within my own space, so on a personal level, I don’t find any need to go and find these things anymore. I mean, I have enough belief in my abilities. I can play without a reason to pump myself up and those are very immature things that I used to feel during the early days of my career,” he said, before adding, “Now being captain of the team, you have no room for anything else but to think of what the team wants all the time. So you don’t find the need for these things at all and as you said they will not give it back.”
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