India’s Virat Kohli attacks Australia’s Mitchell Johnson after tense third day
- Kohli: ‘If someone doesn’t respect me, I have no reason to respect him’
- Batsman ‘really annoyed’ by run-out attempt which hit him in the back
- Kohli makes 169 as India claw back into contention on third day
Virat Kohli blasted a brilliant 169 to help India claw back into the third Test on Sunday, before taking aim at Mitchell Johnson and his Australia team-mates in a lively press conference at the MCG. Having driven India to 462 for eight at stumps, Kohli raised the stakes again for the rest of the series, saying he respected only some of the Australia team.
“They were calling me a spoilt brat,” Kohli told reporters. “I said: ‘Maybe that’s the way I am - I know you guys hate me and I like that.’”
He added: “I don’t mind having a chat on the field and it worked in my favour, I guess. I like playing against Australia because it’s really hard for them to stay calm. I don’t mind an argument on the field. It really excites me and brings the best out of me, so they don’t seem to be learning the lesson.”
When Kohli strayed from his crease, Johnson raised the tension by flinging a shy at the stumps that struck the batsman in the back. Kohli winced but got back to his feet and after smashing Johnson for four, strode up to the 33-year-old to express his displeasure. Later, after a lofted off-drive for four off Johnson, Kohli blew two kisses at the bowler.
“I respect a few of them but if someone doesn’t respect me, I have no reason to respect him,” Kohli said, before adding that “I have got a nice friendship with a few of [the Australia players] … but someone who is not backing off, someone who is saying anything that comes to mouth, I have no reason to respect him.”
Referring to Johnson’s attempted run-out, Kohli said “I was really annoyed with him hitting me with the ball, and I told him that’s not on. Try and hit the stumps next time, not my body. You have got to send the right message across.”
Having struggled on tour in England and brought a middling batting average to Australia, Kohli has hit form in the Test series Down Under. Not even Sachin Tendulkar managed three Test centuries on tour of Australia, as Kohli has done in this series; the last India batsman to achieve the feat was Sunil Gavaskar in 1977-78.
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Despite Kohli’s feats, India currently trail the series 2-0 – but the batsman had strong words for Australia’s new captain, Steve Smith, who had suggested in recent quotes that India had a habit of crumbling under pressure. “Some words coming out of their mouth. They have the right to talk I guess. They are two-nil up right now. Would have been interesting if it had been 1-1, and the same sort of sentences or words had come through from them.”
“It is funny. When you are on top you can sort of say anything you want. It’s when the chips are down that you have got to stand up. Say what you have to say and then go out there and prove it. When we played in India there weren’t so many words coming back from them. Which was surprising. We are two-nil down, we still took them on today, and showed what we can do with the bat, which is the character of this Indian team.”
The Australia bowler Ryan Harris, who took four for 69, appeared surprised when he heard Kohli’s comments. “There were a few things out there today that were said,” Harris said. “I think the thing that fired him up the most was when Mitch threw the ball at the stumps and he was in the way.”
“We try not to say too much to him, but sometimes he brings it on himself, I guess, when he starts it. It’s never personal, it’s always a bit of fun.
“It’s interesting to hear him say [all] that. It’s probably a good thing. Because he’s probably worried about that. If he’s worrying about stuff like that, hopefully his batting goes downhill.”
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