‘Virat Kohli has become the Donald Trump of world sport’ was the opening line of a Daily Telegraph report on Tuesday, a day after Australia managed to salvage a draw in the third Test of the series in Ranchi.
The article headlined ‘ Virat Kohli’s Donald Trump-like contempt for the truth making mockery of the game’ goes on to say how the International Cricket Council has allowed the Indian captain to make a mockery of cricket.
“Test captains, under the rules of the game, are supposed to be the flag-bearers for upholding the spirit of the game, yet the ICC has allowed the Indian captain to destroy one of the foundations on which the game has been played for more than a century,” the article said.
“The fact Kohli has not been sanctioned for calling the Australians systematic cheats or his latest unfounded attack on Smith shows that he is completely untouchable. The ICC won’t fine him. Not even the BCCI, who through their broadcaster apologised to Smith, can get their skipper to tow the party line,” it said.
All this because the Aussies found out that the hand on Steve Smith’s shoulder which VVS Laxman thought was the skipper’s own and mistakenly deduced that the Australian captain was mocking Virat Kohli’s shoulder injury.
Are Australian cricketers are saints on the field?
According to their media, they are. All the New South Wales cricketers have utmost respect for their former and currently India team’s physio Patrick Farhart, claimed the Australian website.
“Just like President Trump, Virat Kohli decided to blame the media as a means of trying to hide the egg smeared right across his face,” The Daily Telegraph wrote.
It went on to say: “Kohli’s performances are well down, with just 46 runs at an average of 9.2 this series – the lowest return of a specialist batsman from either side. Even Mitchell Marsh (48) has made more runs, and another injured bloke Mitchell Starc (118) has more than double the Indian captain.”
The cricket.com.au website highlighted the fact that Virat Kohli is not the top Indian batsman on the ICC rankings anymore, underplaying the fact that Ravindra Jadeja, who has tormented them throughout the series is now the best Test bowler.
The focus of Australian media, it seems, is to bring Virat Kohli down.
During the Dressing Room Review controversy, The Daily Telegraph had alleged that India skipper Virat Kohli had hurled an energy drink bottle that hurt an Australian team official.
“Kohli might be the aggressor in the brazen campaign India is running against Australia’s integrity — even striking an Australian official with an orange Gatorade bottle — but coach Kumble, one of the main instigators of the Monkeygate fiasco, would appear to have reclaimed his role as the puppeteer behind the scenes,” the report said.
Talking of Monkeygate scandal in Sydney in 2007-08, India had lost the Test by 122 runs after Michael Clarke had taken Sourav Ganguly’s catch on the bounce and skipper Ricky Ponting had pointed the finger heavenwards to indicate the catch was clean.
Shortly after, India skipper Anil Kumble had said only one team played the match in the spirit of the game.
There is no end to the acrimony in the current series. The Australian media, true to their character, have only added fuel to their ire at Virat Kohli.
