/ 16 January 2018

Kohli fined after Centurion tantrum

Barrier to progress: Police officers block supporters of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign from marching to President Goodluck Jonathan's official residence in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
Barrier to progress: Police officers block supporters of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign from marching to President Goodluck Jonathan's official residence in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been fined 25% of his match fee for unsporting behaviour during Day 3 of the second Test against the Proteas.

He has also been received one demerit point.

With play having resumed on Monday afternoon following a brief but heavy thundershower, Kohli was not pleased with the ball getting wet and he voiced his concern to umpire Michael Gough.

There was a moment, after the first boundary following that rain delay, where Kohli launched the ball into the ground aggressively, throwing a mini-tantrum and clearly not pleased with the decision of the umpires to get back onto a field that was not completely dry.

Indian seamer Jasprit Bumrah confirmed after the day’s play that, before the rain delay, India’s quicks had been getting some decent swing out in the middle.

But with the ball getting wet, the shine became neutralised, and the swing disappeared.

“We were having a word with the umpires telling them that the ball is still wet,” Bumrah confirmed.

“We wanted to know what could be done about that situation.”

As it turns out, nothing could be done and play continued, and Kohli threw his toys as a result.

He pleaded guilty to the charge after the day’s play and accepted the sanction.

The Indian skipper, who kept his side in the series with his 153 in the first innings, has been at the centre of attention throughout this Test series.

In Cape Town he was criticised for his over-the-top celebrations when Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis went out in the first innings, while he has also lambasted his players on the field when things have not gone go well.

“Virat is very competitive,” Morkel added.

“I think it’s just his nature and it gets them going and him going. We are well aware of that but we don’t take any notice of it.” – Sport24