Virat Kohli is known for his aggressive nature on the field but handling his responsibilities in a good manner. And, many times his verbal confrontations on the field made headlines as well. In the rescheduled 2022 Test in Birmingham, Kohli, the former India captain, engaged in aggressive sledging with England’s Jonny Bairstow on Day 3 of the match.
Amid India’s dominant performance in the first two days, leaving England trailing by over 300 runs. In the initial session of Day 3, Kohli attempted to provoke Bairstow through verbal taunts.
The Indian fielder approached the England batter, and on the stump mic, he was heard saying: “Shut up, just stand and bat.”
Moreover, Kohli gestured with a finger on his lips and pointed rudely at Bairstow. The England batsman expressed displeasure with the on-field noise, prompting the on-field umpires to intervene and diffuse the situation. On Day 2, Kohli attempted to sledge Bairstow using the name of New Zealand bowler Tim Southee. Despite Kohli’s verbal attempts, Bairstow responded strongly with the bat, scoring an impressive 106 off 140 balls, including 14 fours and two sixes.
This counter-attacking innings helped England reach 284 in response to India’s first-innings total of 416. In the second innings, England’s bowlers, led by Ben Stokes with figures of 4/33, performed well to limit India to 245, where only Cheteshwar Pujara (66) and Rishabh Pant (57) managed half-centuries. Even with the impressive comeback, England required 378 runs to secure victory in the Test match.
They achieved this commandingly, with Bairstow scoring an unbeaten 114 off 145 balls and Joe Root contributing an unbeaten 142 off 173 balls. The pair formed an unbroken partnership of 269 for the fourth wicket, leading England to a decisive seven-wicket triumph.
Virat Kohli might be absent for the final three Tests against England: Reports
Kohli, for personal reasons, was absent from the initial two Tests of the ongoing home series against England. There are indications that he might continue to be unavailable for the remaining three Tests as well, based on reports.
As per ESPNcricinfo, the 35-year-old is expected to be absent from the third and fourth Tests in Rajkot and Ranchi. Additionally, uncertainties surround his participation in the fifth and concluding Test of the series in Dharmasala, commencing on March 7.
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