Virat Kohli has been fantastic to play under: Mitchell Starc

Virat Kohli’s aggressive on-field antics was one of the biggest talking points of the second Test between India and Australia in Perth. The India skipper was winning praises from all over for yet another gem of a century in the first innings. However, he soon found himself in hot water due to his behavior in the second innings.

Kohli was looking his usual self, motivating and encouraging his teammates while also urging the crowd to make more noise as tension bubbled in Perth. However, things soon turned nasty when he tried to get under the skin of his Australian counterpart. Both the skippers were constantly at each other and nearly came to blows at one stage. In fact, the on-field umpire had to intervene to bring things under control.

Reports also suggested that Kohli called Paine ‘a stand-in captain’ and himself ‘the best player in the world’. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has strongly refuted that report. The drama ended with a frosty handshake between the two skippers after Australia thrashed the visitors by 146 runs to level the series. Consequently, several former cricketers took a shot at Kohli, slamming him for his behavior.

Kohli finds support Starc:

At a time when Kohli is facing the heat for his behaviour, he has found support from an unlikely source. Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has said that the India star is ‘fantastic to play under, as a captain.’ Starc and Kohli have previously shared the dressing room in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

“I’ve played a couple of IPLs with Virat and he’s been fantastic to play under, as a captain,” Starc told reporters. “Obviously, he’s a fantastic player. The way India play this series and go about their cricket, it’s up to them,” the Aussie seamer added.

Meanwhile, India will be looking to bounce back from the defeat in Perth when they take on the hosts in the Boxing Day Test. A win in the upcoming game will see India not only take an unassailable lead but also retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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