Kevin Pietersen has praised Virat Kohli for bringing excitement and drama to the game, calling him the ‘Showman’ of cricket.
The ongoing Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has been marked by Virat Kohli’s on-field presence. Kohli made headlines for his intense confrontation with debutant Sam Konstas on the first day of the fourth Test. Later, Kohli was involved in Yashasvi Jaiswal’s costly run-out and was booed by fans as he walked off after being dismissed.
READ ALSO | WATCH | Virat Kohli Faces Boos at MCG, Confronts Spectators After Dismissal
Despite the criticism, former England captain Kevin Pietersen has come out in support of Kohli, calling him the “Showman” of cricket. Pietersen praised Kohli for his ability to bring excitement and drama to the game, noting his achievements and impact throughout his career.
“Virat creating theatre down under! Let’s GO! Imagine how boring it would be without the Showman! And he’s earned EVERYTHING with his runs over his career! Many would end their successful international careers with a 1/4 of what he’s achieved….” Pietersen wrote on X.
However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) fined Kohli 20% of his match fee and gave him a demerit point following hos on-field altercation with Konstas.
In other news, Kohli’s struggles continued on the second day, starting with a run-out involving Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair had built a 102-run partnership, but a miscommunication led to Jaiswal being run out on 82. This mistake seemed to affect Kohli, who was dismissed shortly after for 36, edging a delivery from Scott Boland. India’s lower order then collapsed, going from 153/2 to 164/5 by stumps, trailing Australia by 310 runs.
With Australia posting a huge 474, thanks to Steve Smith’s century, India faces a tough task to mount a comeback. Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant are unbeaten at the crease, but support from the lower order, including contributions from Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar, will be crucial to reducing the deficit and avoiding a follow-on
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Last Updated on December 27, 2024
Senior Sports Copywriter
