Media Reports of Ball-Tampering Doesn’t Matter to Me: Virat Kohli

Kohli was asked about the allegations during the press conference on the eve of the third Test in Mohali.

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Kohli is now top-ranked in Twenty20 Internationals and has also held the top position in One-Day Internationals, but has never moved above 10th place in Tests.

Kohli has brushed aside the allegations, saying the controversy was created to shift the focus away from the match.

“He has clearly so much ability – but through lack of opportunity, it’s been hard for him to develop”.

If England felt any injustice over that, their mood did not lift either after stand-in opener Parthiv Patel rightly overturned a caught-behind decision against him when DRS demonstrated the ball from Chris Woakes hit only the left-hander’s tummy. I don’t think there was any frustration, there was belief. “We have lost the last Test Match but this time, we are definitely going to play some good cricket on India’s tour”. He also said that he doesn’t believe in “giving wind to such stories”.

About his own form after being rested in the previous tie, he said he was “fit and raring to go”.

“First of all, I don’t want to react to any report in the media. Yeah, I suppose its one of those things which happens”. I changed everything from the next morning from what I eat to how I train.

But as England plan to bring Jos Buttler back as a specialist batsman, for his first Test in 13 months in place of the out-of-sorts Ben Duckett, they must factor in that from three to seven they are staffed by players more at ease at a quicker tempo.

Kohli, 28, was sensational in the 2nd Test match of the five-game series. For England, it used to be Alastair Cook because he doesn’t sweat. I suppose his first 25-30 balls are going to crucial – if we can put him under some pressure early, hopefully he makes a mistake.

Du Plessis was fined 100 percent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, but was cleared to play the ongoing day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval.

In the footage published by IOL, Kohli is seen rubbing his right-hand fingers with an artificial substance inside his mouth – most probably a chewing gum – and then proceeding to shine the ball applying saliva to the ball. “If I was doing something (wrong), ICC would have spoken to me”. This is really poor stuff and we need to start concentrating on the important things, ‘ said Hussain.

“Occasionally at drinks breaks, the guys will come and have candies or mints – just to freshen up and keep the energy going”.

“You can have the skill but do not think you need to train as much as a tennis player”.

At the same time, he added, “If the ICC feels that this should be banned and this should not go to pitch, maybe it is the way to do it”.

“We’ve come to India with basically only three guys who have been here before, and only one of the batters”, he said. I know England do it, all teams do it, chucking the ball against an abrasive outfield to try to get it to reverse swing’. As far as I am concerned, umpires as well as the match referee never came to us talking about it.