Virat Kohli ‘stings’ Australia over ‘head of snake’ comment

“I’ve proven to myself that I can compete at this level and I want to keep doing that”, said Lyon after his spell. It was a quite an emotional game for us, quite draining as well. That set the visitors a target of 188 runs with plenty of time and overs in hand, and it looked like India were heading the way they did in Pune, having handed the initiative they had at the end of day three firmly back to the visitors. And look at Virat Kohli in the Test match just gone. We would have liked anything over 200, we thought from 225 there was only one victor.

Their 118-run fifth wicket stand is the highest in this series and turned a first-innings deficit into a 151-run lead by the time the Aussies managed to break the partnership. He has now also become the fastest Indian bowler to reach 200 test wickets in India, which he has done in just 30 matches.

‘This has to stop, because there’s a line that you don’t cross on the cricket field. But I think it’s not good for them anymore. If Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma bowled well and stuck to the basics, the way Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja attacked with spin on Tuesday was mesmerising. “Regarding Shaun’s one – we were not sure entirely”.

“When he turned back, the umpire knew what was going on exactly”, added Kohli. “I thought it was going to be closer than that”. That is why the umpire knew what was happening.

After the match, Smith admitted he had been guilty of a “brain fade” but his explanation did not satisfy an angry Kohli.

Ian Healy had told to Melbourne radio station SEN, “I’m losing respect for him (Kohli)”. And that happens to every batsman. And that one error of judgment, I would argue, killed off Australia.

There was a minor altercation, but importantly for the Indians, a lot of scope to take a dig at the opponent captain. Hats off to the way he has played. The laid the foundation in the second innings for the bowlers to the demolishing job under Kohli’s leadership. When that happened, India were four down and leading by only 33 runs.

“I saw it two times when I was batting”. He had got the batsman out LBW for 12. “That is outstanding”, Kohli said. Our pitches are naturally hard, but if we made them even harder and bouncier – like the WACA used to be – we’d have a distinct advantage.

Steve Waugh later helped Australia save the innings defeat, but South Africa won easily by 8 wickets. It will be very similar to the rap battles you see. Just a bit of fun, a bit of banter. But he is the head of the snake, to put it in Dale Steyn’s terms, and if you can take that, the body will fall away.

As Pujara and Rahane got India back on track, they looked to build a huge lead and at one point it looked like they would go on to build a 300 plus lead, but the Australian pace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc had other ideas in mind.