Indian skipper Virat Kohli who was involved in two altercations with the on-field empires Nitin Menon and Virender Sharma during the second test in Chennai has escaped ed ICC censure. The first came when he was warned for running on the pitch while making a classy 62 in India’s second innings. Kohli then held a robust conversation with the umpires over DRS when England captain Joe Root very narrowly survived a review later in the day. India coach Ravi Shastri joined the protestations as the players left the field.
Speculation had been rife that Kohli, who already has two demerit points on his record over the last two years, could have been charged with dissent by Match Referee Javagal Srinath. That could have lead to further demerit points, with a player banned when they reach four within two years. Former England captain Andrew Strauss said that Kohli had “let himself down” and that “opposition players get very frustrated where they feel he gets preferential treatment in India”.
The ICC do not officially announce when no charges have been laid, but it is understood that that is the case and the time period to do so has elapsed. An official rating of the pitch – described by Root as “challenging” – will come in the next few days. Root made no attempt to blame England’s defeat on the pitch, accepting that they had been utterly outclassed in every department.
