Why Virat Kohli Became Public Enemy No.1 For The Australians?

Kohli thought he had been stabbed in the back by ones he considered to be friends and he reacted in a manner any other Indian would have. For the record, more people in India than in Australia know how to spell “sorry”...

- Sunil Garodia

It seems the whole of Australia, starting from current and ex players to respected commentators to officials in Cricket Australia to the venerable editors of the Australian newspapers, has declared Virat Kohli to be the public enemy number one for the country. What has prompted this extreme reaction? Just the fact that at the end of the recent Test series which India won 2-1, Kohli was asked a question to which he gave an honest answer. A reporter reminded the Indian captain that he had said before the series that he considered Australians to be his friends. After what transpired during the series, was he of the same opinion now? Kohli did not bat an eyelid before replying that it had “changed for sure.” He elaborated “No, it has changed. I thought that was the case, but it has changed for sure. As I said, in the heat of the battle you want to be competitive but I’ve been proven wrong.” He further said that “The thing I said before the first Test, that has certainly changed and you won’t hear me say that ever again.” But one thinks that more than this and the snub about not drinking beer together at the end of the series, it was Kohli act of (rightly) pointing out that the Australian skipper, Steve Smith, was in the habit of repeatedly looking towards the dressing room before taking calls on DRS. That amounted to cheating, though Kohli did not say it in as many words. The Australians were also miffed because this young Indian team was not taking things lying down and giving them back whatever they hurled at India. Just the crunch came when beer was refused and Kohli said Austrlians were no longer his friends.