Virat Kohli has implied Australia cheated on several occasions in the second Test in Bangalore, accusing Steven Smith of deliberately attempting to get advice on referrals from the Australian dressing room three times during the match.
Australia were 74 for 3 chasing 188 when Smith was struck on the pads by Umesh Yadav and given out by umpire Nigel Llong. After a discussion with non-striker Peter Handscomb, Smith looked towards the Australian dressing room, at which point Llong walked down the pitch and remonstrated with Smith. Kohli rushed over and was gestured away by the umpire.
After the match, Smith confirmed he had looked up to the dressing room, describing it as a “brain fade” and admitted he was in the wrong. “I got hit on the pad and looked down to Petey and he said look up there,” he said. “So I turned around and it was a bit of a brain fade on my behalf. I shouldn’t have done that.
“I was looking at our boys, so shouldn’t have done that and it was a bit of a brain fade.”
But Kohli refused to accept Smith’s explanation and insisted it was the third time he had seen Australian players look to the dressing room while deciding whether or not to review a decision. Kohli said the first two occasions occurred while he was batting and he had spoken to the umpires about his concerns.
Kohli stopped short of using the word “cheating” but it was strongly implied, saying he didn’t want to use a certain word.
When asked, “Is that word cheating?” Kohli replied: “I didn’t say that, you did.”
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Melinda Farrell is a presenter with ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo