The incident between India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s Sam Konstas during the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has sparked significant discussion. Kohli received a 20% match fee penalty and one demerit point from the ICC for a shoulder barge against the 19-year-old debutant, which some Australian media felt was a lenient punishment.

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar defended the ICC’s decision, stating that Kohli received the maximum penalty allowed for such an offense. He criticized Australian media for insinuating that Kohli got off lightly, emphasizing that the match referee had previously imposed similar penalties for comparable incidents. 

Kohli’s actions occurred during a heated moment in the 10th over, leading to a brief exchange of words between him and Konstas, who had been performing well with a score of 60. Following the incident, Kohli was booed by fans as he left the field after his own dismissal.

Despite the controversy, Konstas later mimicked Kohli’s shoulder barge during India’s fourth innings, engaging with the crowd and lightening the atmosphere. As Australia celebrated their victory by 184 runs, they took a 2-1 lead in the series ahead of the final Test in Sydney starting January 3.