Virat Kohli-Shikhar Dhawan 'Clash' Cause for Dressing Room Unrest: Report
Virat Kohli was upset that he was not given enough preparation time to go out and bat after Shikhar Dhawan pulled out citing an injury during the Brisbane Test that India lost by four wickets.
Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan, two of the most expressive young men in the Indian team, were apparently the cause for the "unrest in the dressing room" that skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni referred to after India lost the second Test match in Brisbane last week. (Also read: Shane Watson 'shaken' by bouncer blow to head)
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Kohli was upset that he was being rushed into batting after Dhawan refused to continue after taking a knock on the wrist while practising ahead of Day 4's play at the Gabba. (MS Dhoni leapfrogs Pataudi in record of zeroes as India captain)
Kohli, who scored back-to-back hundreds while captaining India in the first Test at Adelaide, was bowled by Mitchell Johnson for 1 in the second innings at the Gabba as India crashed to a four-wicket defeat with a full day to spare. Dhawan, who came out to bat after the middle-order collapsed, was India's top scorer with 81.(Sledging backfiring on MS Dhoni's Team India: Gavaskar)
HT, quoting sources, said Kohli was angry that he was given virtually no time to prepare as Dhawan's refusal meant Kohli faced the fresh Aussie pace battery on a Day 4 morning. Kohli lasted all of 11 balls and reportedly blamed Dhawan for the cheap dismissal. The Indian vice-captain's body language suggested that Dhawan was faking injury. (Shikhar Dhawan fit to play in Boxing Day Test)
Dhawan, who was the eighth man out, reportedly told Kohli that "he took pride in playing for the country. If his performance was not up to the mark, he would be willing to sit out, but will not take any insinuation that he faked injury." Team director Ravi Shastri had to play peacemaker, suggesting that any player should be prepared to bat at any point in time. (Wives to join battered Indian side Down Under, no room for girlfriends)
Dressing room exchanges are not uncommon but they normally remain strictly confined to the team. But it was Dhoni who hinted at the unrest during his post-match chat. Both Kohli and Dhawan are extremely expressive and have been fined by the match referee for squabbles with Australian players.
Former Test captain Sunil Gavaskar has also said Indian players need to focus on the game with their bat and ball to avoid another whitewash. He wanted better control from skipper Dhoni.
Another former skipper Anil Kumble, unhappy with Dhawan's injury management, also said making excuses will not help. Down 2-0 in the four-Test series, India must bounce back in the third Test starting at Melbourne on December 26.