Aussie players friends no more, declares Virat Kohli
© BCCI
Even though India completed the comeback against Australia in the final Test in Dharamsala today, the series has left a sour taste in Virat Kohli's mouth. The Indian captain said he no longer considered the Australian cricketers as his friends following their behavior during the series.
The series has been an exciting one both on and off the field. In the first Test, Australia handed India their first defeat in the home season, but India came back to win two out of the remaining three matches to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Off the field, however, the controversies just wouldn't go away. After the Kohli had just stopped short of calling Steve Smith a cheat for his ‘DRS Brain Fade’ moment and the Aussie media had not taken well responding with allegations of their own going as far as to calling the Indian captain the Donald Trump of sport. And it wasn't just restricted to the media as Cricket Australia CEO, James Sutherland, claimed that said Kohli perhaps did not know the spelling of 'sorry'.
Now, after India finally wrapped up the series in Dharamsala today, Kohli was asked if he still considered Smith’s men as his friends off the field referring to a quote he had made at the start of the series, Indian skipper did not hold anything back.
“No, it has changed for sure. 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 yeah I have been proven wrong," Kohli replied, reported PTI.
“The thing I said before the first Test, I have certainly been proven wrong and you won’t hear me say that ever again.”
In a series where the Australian cricketers were seen mocking Kohli’s shoulder injury,
However, during his post-match press conference, Smith addressed some of the incidents and issued an apology for the same.
"I set myself high standards and I wanted to lead from the front with my performances," Smith said.
"I have been very intense and in my own little bubble and at times I have let my emotions actions falter a little bit throughout this series and I apologise for that. That's a big stride for me moving forward and something I can really learn from and continue to grow as an individual and as a leader."
