Virat Kohli’s fight with Sam Konstas defended by former Australian captain

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has come out in support of Indian batting icon Virat Kohli following his on-field altercation with Australian debutant Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Sam Konstas frustrated the Indian cricket team with his aggressive batting on his debut at the MCG, where Virat Kohli brushed shoulders with the 19-year-old during his walk past him.

Later, the duo was involved in heated exchanges on the field, and then the Australian crowd fuelled the fire by booing the former Indian skipper throughout the fourth Test match in Melbourne.

Michael Clarke defends Virat Kohli in on-field altercation incident with Sam Konstas in the Boxing Day Test

However, the incident led to Kohli being fined 20% of his match fee and receiving one demerit point to his disciplinary account by the ICC. Despite criticism from several former Australian cricketers and local media, Michael Clarke believes that the Indian superstar’s actions were just out of passion for the game, defending his character ahead of the New Year’s Test.

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The former Australian skipper has expressed confidence that Virat Kohli would have made amends with Sam Konstas after the match. Clarke called Kohli a "great guy" and assured that any issues would have been sorted out, as he’s not a "nasty person," and the matter would be resolved.

Michael Clarke said on the Beyond23 Cricket podcast: “I know Virat as well; he would have spoken to Sam after the game. Virat’s a great guy. So those two would have sorted it out. I don’t know if Virat would have said sorry, whatever it was. Virat is not a nasty person. So that would be fixed 100 percent.”

Michael Clarke feels Virat Kohli's frustration came from Sam Konstas' lack of respect for Jasprit Bumrah

The former Australian captain suggested that Virat Kohli's frustration during the altercation with Sam Konstas could have been due to the young debutant not showing enough respect to Jasprit Bumrah in the Boxing Day Test. Michael Clarke believes that this lack of respect towards Bumrah might have triggered Kohli's reaction at the MCG.

Sam Konstas tried a few reverse scoops against India's premier pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah early in his innings. However, the Australian opener missed initially, but he managed to connect with a couple of shots later.

Clarke signed off by saying, “I think Virat was getting frustrated with the lack of respect that Sam was showing the best bowler in the world in Bumrah. I think that’s what frustrated Virat.”

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Virat Kohli was far from his best on the Australia tour

Notably, Virat Kohli has been struggling with the bat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 since his century in the first Test against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The right-handed batter has struggled with his off-side and off-stump issues, which impacted his performance in 2024, managing only 417 runs at an average of 24.52.

His weakness outside the off-stump, leading to edges to slips or the wicketkeeper, has been a key factor in his downfall on the ongoing Australia tour. Kohli would be hoping to finish the tour with some respectful scores in the New Year's Test, starting on January 3, 2025, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).