Mike Atherton brings up Virat Kohli’s past incident after Siraj’s aggressive send-off to Ben Duckett at Lord’s.
Tensions ran high during the Lord’s Test between India and England. Mohammed Siraj came under fire for his fiery send-off to Ben Duckett. Former England captain Mike Atherton weighed in on the situation in The Times.
Atherton Brings Up Kohli’s Shoulder Barge
On Day 4, Siraj dismissed Duckett and celebrated in his face. As Duckett walked back, Siraj followed and made contact. The ICC fined Siraj 15% of his match fee and gave him one demerit point.
Atherton used this moment to reference a past controversy involving Kohli. In the 2023 Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, Kohli shoulder-barged Australia’s Sam Konstas. It happened on Day 1 of the Test. Kohli walked directly into Konstas, sparking a heated moment. He was fined 20% of his match fee.
Atherton wrote, “There should be no place… for the shoulder barge that Virat Kohli initiated… when he diverted from his path.”
Passion is Welcome, But No Physical Contact
Atherton stressed that intensity is part of Test cricket. However, he warned against letting it cross the line.
“Forgive me for degrading the report of a great match with this nonsense,” he wrote. “But wouldn’t spectators rather see players caring too much than too little?” He emphasized that physical clashes or verbal abuse must not be tolerated.
He also pointed to another clash during the Lord’s Test. Ravindra Jadeja and Brydon Carse collided while running between the wickets. Atherton noted it was accidental. Both players were focused on the ball and unaware of each other’s path.
Echoes of 2019 World Cup Final
Atherton drew a parallel with the 2019 ICC World Cup final. That match also took place at Lord’s. “Six years ago to the day,” he wrote, “Lord’s witnessed the most remarkable finish to any cricket match.” In both moments, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes played key roles.
The Lord’s Test once again sparked a larger debate. How much aggression is too much in the heat of a high-stakes match?
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