<p>Melbourne: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli </a>was fined 20% of his match fee and handed one demerit point after the star Indian batter deliberately shoulder-nudged Australian opener Sam Konstas' on the opening day of the Boxing Day <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/border-gavaskar-trophy">Border-Gavaskar Trophy </a>Test here at the MCG on Thursday. </p><p>The incident occurred at the completion of the 10th over of the Australian innings when the players were crossing over. Kohli picked up the ball and walked in the direction from where Konstas was approaching him with his head down and doing his gloves. While the Test debutant Konstas, too, seemed to deviate from his path, Kohli's was way too obvious. </p>.BGT 2024-25: A punchy set up on Boxing Day.<p>After the bump, both players turned around and glanced at each other before engaging in a brief but heated conversation. Konstas' team-mate Usman Khawaja stepped in to separate the duo before the on-field umpires intervened.</p><p>The incident was reminiscent of the current Indian team's head coach Gautam Gambhir's intentional shoulder tackle of former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson in Delhi in 2008. It's an eerie coincidence that Watson happens to be the mentor of 19-year-old Konstas.</p><p>While Gambhir's behaviour resulted in a one-Test ban for the former left-handed opener, Kohli is lucky to have gotten away lightly. </p><p>"I was just doing my gloves and I think he accidentally bumped me. I think that's just cricket and can happen with tension," Konstats said in an attempt to play down the issue. </p><p>"I think the emotions got to both of us," Konstas had earlier told Channel 7. </p><p>"I didn't quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket," he had added.</p><p>India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar also played down the issue.</p><p>"When you play a game, there will be emotions but it is not as big as it seems. I wasn't aware of what happened and don't know what was said," he said in response to a pointed question.</p>
<p>Melbourne: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli </a>was fined 20% of his match fee and handed one demerit point after the star Indian batter deliberately shoulder-nudged Australian opener Sam Konstas' on the opening day of the Boxing Day <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/border-gavaskar-trophy">Border-Gavaskar Trophy </a>Test here at the MCG on Thursday. </p><p>The incident occurred at the completion of the 10th over of the Australian innings when the players were crossing over. Kohli picked up the ball and walked in the direction from where Konstas was approaching him with his head down and doing his gloves. While the Test debutant Konstas, too, seemed to deviate from his path, Kohli's was way too obvious. </p>.BGT 2024-25: A punchy set up on Boxing Day.<p>After the bump, both players turned around and glanced at each other before engaging in a brief but heated conversation. Konstas' team-mate Usman Khawaja stepped in to separate the duo before the on-field umpires intervened.</p><p>The incident was reminiscent of the current Indian team's head coach Gautam Gambhir's intentional shoulder tackle of former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson in Delhi in 2008. It's an eerie coincidence that Watson happens to be the mentor of 19-year-old Konstas.</p><p>While Gambhir's behaviour resulted in a one-Test ban for the former left-handed opener, Kohli is lucky to have gotten away lightly. </p><p>"I was just doing my gloves and I think he accidentally bumped me. I think that's just cricket and can happen with tension," Konstats said in an attempt to play down the issue. </p><p>"I think the emotions got to both of us," Konstas had earlier told Channel 7. </p><p>"I didn't quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket," he had added.</p><p>India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar also played down the issue.</p><p>"When you play a game, there will be emotions but it is not as big as it seems. I wasn't aware of what happened and don't know what was said," he said in response to a pointed question.</p>