'Can't be a role model in this manner': Furious Gambhir lambasts 'immature' Kohli for 'exaggerated' stump-mic reaction
Gambhir expects head coach Rahul Dravid to have a word with Kohli, who has led the Indian Test side since December 2014, regarding his antics on Thursday.
Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir was left absolutely furious with India captain Virat Kohli's stump-mic antics during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town on Thursday. He felt the reaction was “exaggerated” called Kohli's behaviour immature.
Few of the Indian players along with Kohli expressed their displeasure about the South Africa broadcaster, SuperSport, after Dean Elgar survived a DRS scare following a review on the third day of the deciding Test. Elgar was given out lbw by umpire Marius Erasmus, but the decision was overturned on review with the ball-tracking showing that the ball missed the stumps.
Left irritated with the ball-tracking technology, Kohli walked towards the stump mic and said, "Focus on your team while they shine the ball. Not just the opposition. Trying to catch people all the time."
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Lambasting Kohli's reaction, Gambhir, in conversation with Star Sports after the day's play, said that this sort of reaction is not what you expect from an Indian skipper and that he is setting a bad example for budding cricketers.
Gambhir even pointed out a Mayank Agarwal reprieve during the the first Test in Centurion, saying that Elgar didn't react in that manner.
“This is really bad. What Kohli did, going near the stump mic and reacting in that manner, that is really immature. This is not what you expect from an international captain, from an Indian captain. Then technology isn't in your hand. Then you have reacted in the same manner when there was a caught-behind appeal on the leg-side, neither did Dean Elgar react in that manner. During that Mayank Agarwal appeal, it looked OUT from the naked eye, but Elgar did not react in that manner,” he said.
Gambhir expects head coach Rahul Dravid to have a word with Kohli, who has led the Indian Test side since December 2014, regarding his antics on Thursday.
“No matter what you say, stuff like he plays with his heart on his sleeve, this reaction was an exaggerated one and you can't be a role model in this manner. No budding cricketers would want to see this kind of a reaction, especially from the Indian captain. No matter the result in this Test match, this is not what you expect from a Test captain who has led the team for so long. I hope Rahul Dravid has a word with him, because the type of captain Dravid was, he would have never reacted in this manner.”
Elgar was eventually dismissed at the stroke of stumps as South Africa went two down at the close of play with Keegan Petersen close to his third half-century score in this series.
South Africa need 111 runs to win with eight wickets in hand to win the series.