After facing criticism for his on-field altercation with Sam Konstas, Virat Kohli once again showed his sportsmanship with a heartwarming gesture towards Steve Smith in the Boxing Day Test. Kohli walked up to the former Australian captain and patted him on the back after Smith scored his 34th Test hundred on Day 2 at the MCG.
Kohli’s sportsmanlike gesture came after the Indian star was booed by the crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Currently, Kohli is facing a challenging time in Australia. His batting form has dipped, and controversies have added to his woes. With this potentially being Kohli’s last tour of Australia as an Indian cricketer, it’s imperative for him to regain his form and contribute to his team’s success.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) fined Kohli 20% of his match fees and handed him one demerit point for shoulder-charging Australian youngster Sam Konstas during the opening day of the Test. The ICC’s Code of Conduct, specifically Article 2.12, emphasises that cricket is not a contact sport and prohibits such physical nudges.
Meanwhile, Smith capitalised on a lacklustre Indian performance, cruising to his 34th Test century and guiding Australia to a commanding 454 for 7 at lunch on the second day of the fourth Test on Friday. Smith, unbeaten on 139 off 194 balls, resumed the day on 68 from 111 balls. He needed just 56 deliveries in the morning session to reach his century, equalling the legendary Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 34 Test hundreds.
The Australian stalwart registered his 11th Test century against India�the most by any batter�during the fourth match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the MCG on Friday. Smith achieved this feat in 167 balls, hitting two sixes and nine fours. Notably, it was his fifth century at the iconic venue, where his highest score remains 192 against India.
Smith’s 34th Test century places him amongst the elite in cricket history. He is now tied with legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Mahela Jayawardene, Brian Lara, and Younis Khan in the list of top Test century-makers. The Australian stalwart is now just 52 runs away from becoming the fourth Australian batter to join the prestigious 10,000 Test-run club, following in the footsteps of Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting.
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