NEW DELHI: An old video of young Australian cricketer Sam Konstas expressing his admiration for modern-day great Virat Kohli has gone viral, reigniting conversations after the two had an on-field altercation during the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday.
The resurfaced clip shows Konstas in awe of Kohli, when a reporter asked him, “If you could get to your phone and find three people have sent you a message, any three people in the world, who would you want them to be.”
Konstas smilingly replied: “Shane Watson will be one hopefully, my dad, and maybe Virat Kohli.”
The incident occurred after the 10th over of Australia’s innings when the players were crossing paths on the pitch. The 19-year-old debutant downplayed the incident as an accidental bump, but it could lead to disciplinary action against the Indian star.
Kohli and Konstas brushed shoulders while crossing, leading to both players turning around to exchange heated words. Australian teammate Usman Khawaja intervened to diffuse the situation, with on-field umpires also stepping in.
Speaking to reporters after the day’s play, Konstas dismissed the clash as unintentional.
“I was adjusting my gloves, and I think he accidentally bumped into me. It’s just part of cricket and can happen when tensions are high,” said the teenager.
