I and Tim Paine don’t want to do something unnecessary, says Virat Kohli

Things did not go in favor of Indian captain Virat Kohli in the second Test against Australia in Perth even though he personally had a good game with a hundred. His on-field gestures and exchanging words with his Australian counterpart Tim Paine came under criticism and the visitors too got thumped by 146 runs. Ahead of the crucial third Test in Melbourne which will largely define which way the Border-Gavaskar Trophy goes, Kohli has played down the sledging war with Paine saying neither of them walks out looking for reasons to talk about.

Kohli’s verbal duel with Paine though did not turn hot in Perth but it certainly saw the on-field umpire intervening and asking both the captains to calm down and concentrate on the game. Kohli was criticized by a number of former players from both Australia and India though people like Zaheer Khan and Mike Hussey thought there was nothing wrong in its conduct. The Indian captain was also criticised by former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson for not leaving the crease at once after he was caught very low in the slips in Perth.

No crossing line, says Kohli

Speaking to the media on the eve of the Boxing Day Test, Kohli reiterated his pre-series words that both teams will fight hard but will not cross the line while playing the game. In Perth, the two captains almost bumped into each other and Paine was also seen asking Indian opener Murali Vijay if he “seriously liked” Kohli “as a bloke”.

“I don’t think so. That’s in the past. As I said, it’s Test cricket at the highest level when two tough teams are going against each other. There will be things that happen on the field. I think it’s important to leave it there and focus on the next Test match. We are definitely not looking to find something to talk about,” Kohli said on Tuesday.

“You just want to play good, competitive cricket and when both teams are passionate and desperate to win, obviously, those things happen on the field.”

Kohli said both he and Paine understood what had happened in Perth and they do not want to indulge into something unnecessary. He said both he and the Australian captain want to lead their respective teams well and play good cricket that the spectators want to see.
India won the first Test in Adelaide by 31 runs but allowed Australia to level the series in Perth.

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