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ADDS ICC fines Kohli and changes headline

The cricket association fined Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli 20 percent of his match fee for deliberately bumping shoulders with young Australian batsman Sam Konstas in the fourth Test on Thursday.

The Indian veteran made heavy contact with the 19-year-old debutant after Konstas tossed bowlers around him en route to an incredible 60 off 65 balls at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

This sparked a heated exchange between the pair in the first session, with Konstas’ opening colleague Usman Khawaja and referee Michael Gough intervening.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday that Kohli “has been fined 20 percent of his match fee and one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct.”

The code refers to “inappropriate physical contact with a player, player support staff, umpire, match referee or any other person (including a spectator during an international match”), the ICC said in a statement.

“No formal hearing was required as Kohli accepted the sanctions suggested by referee Andy Pycroft,” it added.

Kohli, who is considered one of the best batsmen of this generation, has been criticized by many for his actions on the field.

“Virat went a full pitch to the right and triggered this confrontation,” Ricky Ponting said on Australia’s Channel Seven. “For me there is no doubt at all.

“I have no doubt the umpires and umpires will take a close look at this.”

Former India coach Ravi Shastri described Kohli’s actions as “absolutely unnecessary”.

“Virat is an experienced player, he was captain… he will have his own explanations on that but that is one thing you don’t want to see,” he said on Fox Sports.

“One person who will be watching the action is (match referee) Andy Pycroft.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, also a commentator in Australia, said Kohli “did it completely wrong”.

“I don’t know why a senior professional who has been playing for so long…why he was unsettled by a 19-year-old. “Sam Konstas did absolutely nothing wrong,” he added.

Konstas, who was called into the team following Nathan McSweeney’s exit, played down the incident in a post-match press conference.

“I was putting my gloves on and I think he accidentally bumped into me. But that’s just cricket, the excitement,” said the teenager, Australia’s youngest ever opener.

MP-BB/DHW