India vs Australia: Virat Kohli is an absolute gentleman - Ravi Shastri
A lot has been said about India skipper Virat Kohli’s on-field duels with Australia captain Tim Paine in the ongoing Test series.
A lot has been made of Virat Kohli’s aggression in the ongoing series between India and Australia, but India coach Ravi Shastri has made it clear that his captain has not for once crossed the line in the ongoing series. In fact, speaking to the media in Melbourne, Shastri went on to back Kohli and said that as far as the Indian team is concerned, he is nothing short of a gentleman.
“What’s wrong with his behaviour? As far as we are concerned, he is an absolute gentleman,” he said.
Earlier, former selector Sandeep Patil had defended his aggressive behaviour in the ongoing Test series against Australia. Many former cricketers hit out at the India captain for his altercation with Tim Paine in the second Test in Perth, which the tourists lost by 146 runs. But Patil has now jumped into the defence of Kohli and said that he should continue his mean streak going in the four-match Test series, which is locked at 1-1.
“When a tiger’s claws and teeth are clipped, it becomes tame. Kohli’s aggression should not be thwarted and he is right in turning on the aggression. I want to see the tiger in the wild and not put in a cage,” Patil was quoted as saying by Mid Day.
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Even former West Indies skipper Viv Richards recently backed Kohli and said: “Look, there is the match referee to keep a check on things, the Indian cricket board too. If he crosses the line, he will pay the price but he should not stop being aggressive,” he added.
“India were not like this years back (70’s, 80’s and 90’s). But it’s nice to have someone like Virat. I love it (aggression), why not? They now love to give it back. That’s what cricket is all about. I love Virat’s captaincy,” he said.
