The equaliser!

An aggressive Kohli leads a victorious fightback to level the series 1-1

- Neeru Bhatia/Bengaluru

As India scripted a spirited comeback to win the second Test against Australia in Bengaluru by 75 runs, the spotlight wasn’t on K.L. Rahul, the man of the match, or on Ravichandran Ashwin, who got his 25th five-wicket haul in Tests. It was on the Decision Review System and the two captains—Virat Kohli and Steven Smith.

The two teams were a study in contrast after the match. India, high on intent and full of aggression on field, left the Chinnaswamy Stadium soon after the post-match news conference. At the hotel, the staff lined up to welcome the victors, and it was time for celebration. The Aussies, on the other hand, stayed back in the dressing room, long after the sun had set, thinking of the match, about letting India in, and about provoking Kohli. As part of their blueprint for the India tour, the last was a strict no-no.

After the win, Kohli tore into Smith, accusing him of cheating—the latter had tried to consult his dressing room on whether to go for a review after he was adjudged leg before wicket in the second innings. As per ICC rules, this is not allowed. Though Smith said he shouldn’t have done it and that it was “brain fade”, Kohli shot back, saying the Aussies had attempted the same twice before. “We had observed that, and we told the match referee and the umpire that it had been happening for the last three days and it had to stop,” said Kohli. “There is a line you don’t cross on a cricket field. Sledging and playing on the opponent’s mind are different. I don’t want to mention the word, but it falls in that bracket. I would never do something like this on the cricket field.” Kohli had not only regained his roar, but also succeeded in pushing Australia onto the back foot.