Australian captain invite Rahane over a drink
Internet Desk: Tensions continued to flow even after the end of a hard fought series as Virat Kohli did not wish to be friends with the Australians. Before the start of the series last month, Kohli commented that no matter what happened on field, they will continue to remain friends off the field.
When asked if he would still be friends with the Aussie cricketers after the series, an angry looking Kohli reacted, “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.
“The thing I said before the first Test, that has certainly changed and you won’t hear me say that ever again,” he said at the post-match press conference in Dharamsala.
The Indian captain has been targeted by not only the Australian players but also their media. A section in the Australian media even went on to compare Virat’s attitude with US President Donald Trump. Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell openly mocked Kohli’s shoulder injury he sustained in Ranchi.
Former Australian cricketers also took pot-shots at Kohli with Ian Healy saying he had lost all respect for the Indian captain. The Australian media also trained their guns on Kohli and accused him of throwing an Aussie official.
As Kohli was not in a submissive mode, his counterpart Steve Smith was ready for reconciliation. The Aussie captain reached out to the Indian cricket team to share a beer at the end of the series. Smith also made a public apology to India during the official trophy presentation in Dharamsala.
“I’ve been pretty intense through this series and wanted to do well for my team and lead from my front,” said Smith.
“I’ve been in my own bubble and I’ve let my emotions bubble over sometimes so I apologise for that,” said Smith.
The Aussie skipper said he was hopeful that there would not be any bad blood left to linger after the series. But after Kohli’s remarks, that looks a distant impossibility in the near future.
Smith also invited Rahane and the entire Indian team over a drink. On being asked about his interaction with Rahane on the field, Smith said, “I said see you next week, he’s in my team for the IPL. I asked if he wanted us to come in for a drink being at the end of the series. He said he’d get back to me. With Ajinkya, we get on well. He’s in my IPL team so I’ll be with him for the next few weeks.”
When asked if he believes there will be ongoing tension between the two camps, Smith said: “I don’t think so. We play hard out on the field and it’s always a fantastic contest against India. They’re a great side and they thoroughly deserved to win this series 2-1.”