Both players immediately looked back for a heated exchange of words before Konstas’ opening partner Usman Khawaja came in between, although the verbal duel didn’t last that long.
Replays that emerged later in the session showed that Konstas had turned around from the crease and was walking straight towards the other end whereas Kohli – while tossing the ball in his hand – went from way outside the pitch straight towards Konstas and bumped into him.
“I think the emotions got to both of us,” Konstas later told Channel 7 in the second session. “I didn’t quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.”
“This long shot that’s been provided by the director is really interesting because it shows Virat Kohli actually changing his line to get into the personal space of Sam Konstas. Now, there’s a clause within the ICC Code of Conduct that talks about inappropriate physical contact and that’s the clause that the umpires and the referee will be looking at, at close of play today to see whether or not Virat’s actions fall into that category and my suggestion would be that they’ll probably – looking at that seriously – more than likely do something about that now.”
Konstas, 19, made his Test debut with a rollicking half-century off just 52 balls, by taking on the best bowler of the series, Jasprit Bumrah, who had dismissed Nathan McSweeney four times in six innings in the first three Tests. Konstas replaced McSweeney for this Test and was batting on 27 off 38 at the time of the altercation with Kohli, and had already reverse-scooped Bumrah for a six over the slips. The reverse had followed a more straightforward scoop which had fetched him four runs after moving across and flicking the ball over the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Konstas was on 5 off 21 before unleashing those shots off Bumrah and finished on 60 off 65 with six fours and two sixes, when he was trapped lbw from around the wicket by Ravindra Jadeja towards the lunch break.
