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'Forgive me for degrading': Former England captain reflects on sledging in Lord's Test, recalls Kohli-Konstas clash
The Lord's Test had everything that a typical demanding cricket fan would have asked for. From enthralling contests between bat and bowl to competitive battles between bowlers and batsmen, it was an edge-of-a-seat thriller till the action ceased on Day 5. As both teams went toe to toe, there was an inclination that neither side wanted to leave no stone unturned. Hence, tempers flared on occasions.
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Michael Atherton remembers the famous Kohli-Konstas battle
Recollecting the on-field feuds, Mohammed Siraj and Ben Duckett had a nasty confrontation. Then, there was one between Ravindra Jadeje and Brydon Carse on the final Day. Shubman Gill also showcased his animated side when he hurled a mouthful towards Zak Crawley on Day 3. A similar drama unfolded on Day 4 too. Thus, that part of the game was also visible at regular intervals over five days. Some fans deem this as entertainment, however, former England player Michael Atherton does not come in the same bracket.
Atherton wrote a lengthy column for The Times and tried to explain what kind of spat between the players is justifiable. The former England captain brought forward a few instances where players were involved in ugly arguments and attempted to categorise between what is fair and justified and what is not. To make things clear, he cited the example of the in-famous incident that took place between Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia in December 2024.
'Forgive me for degrading the report of a great match with this nonsense, but wouldn't spectators rather see players caring too much, rather than too little, about playing Tests? No one, of course, wants to see physical altercations on the field of play, or sustained nasty verbal abuse. There should be no place, for example, for the shoulder barge that Virat Kohli initiated in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne last Christmas, when he diverted from his path to deliberately walk into Sam Konstas. In a match where there was plenty of spice and niggle, tempers flared as Carse and Jadeja collided mid-pitch, although the impact was entirely accidental, after Jadeja had deflected the ball towards third man, with both players ball-watching rather than minding each other's path,' he wrote.
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