India's star player Virat Kohli, who stepped in as captain for Jasprit Bumrah, captivated the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) crowd during a heated finale to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).
Amid Australia’s run chase on the third morning of the fifth Test, Kohli engaged in playful banter, gesturing that he had no "sandpaper" on him, alluding to Australia’s 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
India set a modest target of 162 runs for Australia to win the series decider.
However, the visitors struggled early with the ball, conceding 35 runs in the first three overs. The breakthrough came when Sam Konstas’ ill-timed slog resulted in a wild dismissal.
Prasidh Krishna then delivered a stunning spell, dismissing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in quick succession.
Exploiting his height, Krishna generated sharp bounce, forcing both batters to edge catches to gully.
As Australia faltered at 58-3, the Indian fielders and their supporters in the crowd came alive.
Positioned at slip, Kohli’s theatrics added fuel to the fire. He turned his pockets inside out and tugged at his waistband, mimicking the infamous 2018 incident when Cameron Bancroft was caught concealing sandpaper in his underwear.
The crowd’s reaction was immediate and commentary from Sanjay Manjrekar speculated that Kohli was attempting to "fire himself up" amid a lean patch with the bat.
Despite India’s spirited efforts, Australia clinched victory in the afternoon session, breaking their decade-long drought to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
This marked their first series triumph since the 2014-15 edition.
The win also secured Australia’s spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final for the second consecutive time, where they are set to face South Africa for the coveted mace, barring any over-rate penalties.
The WTC final is scheduled for June 11, 2025, at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.- Virat Kohli
