Edgbaston Test: Virat Kohli's Theatrics and Antics Save Test Cricket
Photo Credit: Twitter

Edgbaston Test: Virat Kohli's Theatrics and Antics Save Test Cricket

Even when he is in the midst of the worst phase of his cricket career as a batsman, having not scored an international hundred in nearly three years, Virat Kohli knows how to captivate the entire cricket fraternity with his antics. They say that "action speaks louder than words," and Virat Kohli's words certainly made more noise than the runs scored and wickets taken on Day 3 of India's rescheduled Test against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

With England slipping to 97/5 in response to India's first innings total of 416, and Jonny Bairstow struggling to get his bat on the ball, Kohli decided to have a go at England's in-form batsman. It is debatable whether it was necessary or could have been avoided. The Indian fans, on the other hand, were ecstatic, something they had been missing since Kohli decided to step down as captain of the longest format of the game earlier this year.

Kohli's antics were entertaining enough to enthral his legions of fans. The 33-year-old was once again the centre of attention, with many hailing him as a reason to watch Test cricket in the modern era and others condemning him for his actions.

What transpired between Kohli and Bairstow?

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(Photo Credit: Twitter/@oyeekd)

With Jasprit Bumrah keeping things tight and Bairstow getting beaten off successive deliveries, an animated Kohli from slip took a jibe at the Englishman by offering him some advice.

Bairstow's response was inaudible, but the stump mic picked up Kohli asking, "What's that?"

Bairstow's response could not be heard over the stump microphones, but when he placed his right hand on Kohli's chest and motioned for the former India captain to return to his position in the slip cordon, things became tense. Kohli appeared to be telling Bairstow, as he walked backward, to shut up and stand at the crease.

Jonny Bairstow Goes Berserk

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(Photo Credit: Twitter)

Bairstow changed gears after his verbal duel with Kohli. Whatever was said, Kohli's words fired up Bairstow, who had been batting at a snail's pace until then and later began belting the Indian bowlers to all corners of the Edgbaston ground. The right-hander scored 13 runs off the first 61 balls he faced, with only one boundary. Following his heated exchange with Kohli, Bairstow smashed 93 runs in the next 79 balls, en route to his third consecutive hundred in as many Tests and 11th overall in his Test career.

Given his status as a competitor, Kohli was among the first to applaud Bairstow's hundred, and the cameras only captured Kohli's actions at the time.

At the end of Day 3, Bairstow told reporters that Virat wasn't saying much to him and that everything was fine between the two rivals.

On the same lines, Bairstow was asked if Kohli's words made him more determined—"Did he poke the bear?" And he responded, "It's a nice pun that's in it."

The brawl became so heated that two on-field umpires, Aleen Dar and Richard Kettleborough, were forced to intervene and calm things down.

However, Bairstow dismissed any differences between the two, claiming "literally nothing" and joking, "I refused to invite him for dinner."

"As I mentioned earlier, there was literally nothing. We've been fortunate to play against each other for ten years. So, I'm pretty sure we'll be able to have dinner. Don't worry about it," he further added.

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(Photo Credit: The Telegraph)

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, who had seen Kohli from close quarters during his early career, also criticised Kohli's actions.

Sehwag took to Twitter shortly after Bairstow's century to emphasise how Kohli's sledging shifted the tides in England's favour, even if only for a few hours.

"Jonny Bairstow's Strike Rate before Kohli's Sledging -: 21; Post Sledging - 150," he wrote while lashing out at Kohli for sledging the batter.

As luck would have it, the flamboyant right-hander was dismissed for 106 by Mohammad Shami, and guess who took the catch? Kohli was the one who clung to the catch with his hands pointing upwards. Back to his aggressive self, the former Indian Captain couldn't help but blow a kiss towards Bairstow as he made his way back to the pavilion to a standing ovation from Birmingham's capacitive crowd.

Kohli's Best Friend is Aggression

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(Photo Credit: Twitter)

Anyone who has followed Virat Kohli's career has seen the Delhi-born cricketer's brash, aggressive, and no-compromise attitude from the start. This aggression comes naturally to him and is ingrained in his DNA. He couldn't live without it, just like ordinary people like you and me. Kohli has learned to control his temper and aggression over the years, but when the game is on the line and the opposition attempts to overstep and enter where they shouldn't, Kohli loses control. Kohli understands how to respond and deal with a crisis.

His aggressive demeanour has won him a slew of fans who adore the passion and energy he brings to the game. On the other hand, Kohli's over-the-top aggression has drawn a lot of criticism in the past from former cricket greats and pundits.

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(Photo Credit: Cricket Australia)

However, in the twenty-first century, the results are more important than how they are obtained, unless they are legitimate and within the rules of the game. Kohli's name appears alongside South Africa's Graeme Smith and the Australian duo of Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh on the list of the top five successful Test cricket captains of all time. Mind you, Kohli was the one who decided to step down from leadership; otherwise, he was on track to break Smith's record of 53 Test victories, the most by any captain in Test cricket history.

Returning to Kohli's aggression, the incident in Birmingham against Jonny Bairstow was unusual given that he is no longer the official captain of the team. That is not how his fans think. When Kohli was trying to make his mark in Test cricket under MS Dhoni's captaincy, he never lost his aggressive side and took on the opposition whenever necessary. Although the number of incidents may decrease, given Kohli's extended slump as a batsman. That, however, does not give an opposition member the right to sledge or pick on him.

Virat Kohli is more than ready to respond in style, which keeps Test cricket fans glued to their televisions or even their phones. Test cricket has required and will continue to require characters to entice young fans to watch this great game that has lasted more than a decade. Legends rise and fall, but characters stay and rule the hearts and minds of cricket fans forever.

Virat Kohli is more than a character; he is an icon; he is an emotion that runs through the veins of all the country's die-hard cricket fans. More than a billion people will react to a single poke.

Jonny knows it, as does the rest of England, and, of course, the entire cricketing world.

Allow the bear to sleep; once awake, there's no stopping him.

(The author has a lot of expertise in creating sports content for television and other digital platforms. He has been following Indian cricket for the past 15 years.)

R.P SINGH

Assistant Manager at HONDA

2 年

It’s Aggressive nature makes the people to Test cricket more interesting..

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