"Bhatta Phenk Raha Hai": Did Virat Kohli Accuse Windies Star Of Illegal Bowling Action?

India stalwart Virat Kohli found it tough to get into his rhythm against West Indies on Day 2 of the first Test in Dominica. It was only on the 81st delivery that faced, Kohli was able to score a boundary. Over the course of his unbeaten stay on the crease in the first innings, Kohli wasn't pleased with the action of West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite. In fact, the stump mic reportedly caught him complaining about the same to Yashasvi Jaiswal too.

According to a report in Wisden and a few other reports, Kohli was heard saying on the stump mic, "Bhatta phenk raha hai", which roughly translates to "he is throwing bricks". The statement implied that Kohli accused Brathwaite of chucking, having not been convinced if the Windies skipper's bowling action was legal.

It's not the first time that Brathwaite's bowling action has been questioned. In fact, when India toured West Indies in 2019, Brathwaite was reported for his action. Even in 2017, his action was reported but on both occasions, the ICC found nothing wrong, suggesting his action was within the legal limits specified.

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As per the law, for an action to be illegal, "a bowler's elbow extension should exceed 15 degrees, measured from the point at which the bowling arm reaches the horizontal until the point at which the ball is released".

It also has to be noted that Kohli hasn't officially reported Brathwaite's action to the umpires. His remark on the West Indies skipper chucking only seems to be a share of judgment to his partner on the field, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Though a formal report against Brathwaite hasn't been lodged yet, it is possible that one of the members of the Indian team does that over the course of the two Tests on the tour. 

As for the Dominica contest, India are in the driving seat in the match, having already established a lead of 162 runs at stumps on Day 2.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team Virat Kohli Kraigg Brathwaite West Indies vs India, 2023 Cricket