(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
DHARAMSALA, India: The bad-tempered India-Australia cricket series has ended, and so has India captain Virat Kohli's friendship with the Australians.
Before the four-test series, clinched 2-1 by India on Tuesday, Kohli was praised by past and present Australian cricketers, and offered the same warmth in response.
"I am really good friends with all these guys off the field," Kohli said before the first test in Pune. "I know them really, but I know where to draw the line of friendship. When you step onto the field, I could be playing against my big brother, and it wouldn't matter."
But the relationship began to sour as India won the second test in Bengaluru to tie the series. The mudslinging left the field and turned public, and even the national governing bodies had to get involved.
Kohli was in no mood to forgive or forget at the series' conclusion on Tuesday.
"It (the friendship) has changed," he said. "I thought that was the case (friends off the field), but it has changed for sure. In the heat of the battle you want to be competitive but I've been proven wrong. The thing I said before the first test, that has certainly changed, and you won't hear me say that ever again."
There were a lot of issues and incidents:
SECOND TEST
Australia captain Steve Smith was caught on camera looking for a signal from his dressing room whether to go for DRS in the second innings.
Kohli stopped short of calling Smith a "cheat," but he alleged the Australians had done the same thing on two other occasions. He also pointed out the India management raised the issue with the on-field umpires and match referee Chris Broad. But the ICC didn't take any action against Smith or investigate Kohli's allegations.
THIRD TEST
The ICC inaction led to public attacks by both sides in the week-long buildup to the test, so much so that the BCCI and Cricket Australia released a joint statement of continued friendship. There was also a major hullabaloo about the state of the pitch in Ranchi, but the wicket played true for five days.
Kohli hurt his shoulder while fielding in the test, and was mocked by Glenn Maxwell. Kohli retaliated when Australia was batting on day five, gesturing to various batsmen. The match was drawn.
FOURTH TEST
Even in Kohli's absence, owing to his shoulder injury, tempers didn't calm down.
Ravindra Jadeja and Mathew Wade tussled constantly, and other players exchanged words. Meanwhile, Smith was again caught on camera mouthing expletives and the word "cheat" against Murali Vijay, who seemed to have claimed a bumped catch.
Smith expressed unhappiness over the BCCI media team's video use of the Jadeja-Wade exchanges, but sought to mend the relationship after the series was over.
"I wanted to lead from the front with my performances. I have sort of been very intense in my own little bubble and at times I have let my emotions and actions just falter a little bit throughout this series and I apologise for that," Smith said on Tuesday.
"That's a big stride for me moving forward."
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