Share

Maxwell mocks Kohli's shoulder injury

Ranchi - Australian allrounder Glenn Maxwell Saturday mocked India skipper Virat Kohli's shoulder injury as fiery exchanges between the two sides continued on day three of the third Test in Ranchi.

Kohli had an injury scare on the opening day on Thursday after hurting his right shoulder while diving on the field in Australia's first innings.

The star batsman left the ground clutching his shoulder in pain but was later cleared by the Indian board's medical team as scans revealed "no serious injury concerns".

Kohli, who stayed out for 400 minutes due to the injury, came out to bat at his usual number four position only to be dismissed cheaply for six off fast bowler Pat Cummins.

But Maxwell was seen imitating Kohli a ball before the batsman got out as he completed a successful chase on the boundary rope and held his shoulder with his arm.

However Indian opener Murali Vijay played down the incident at the post-day press conference, insisting the the hosts want to keep their focus on the game.

India ended day three on 360 for six, still 91 short of Australia's 451.

"A lot of things are happening but we are really focused on the game. We have a match in hand, we have to go close to the target - these are things running in our heads in the dressing room," said Vijay.

"All the players are aware of it (Maxwell's mocking). Whatever they are doing, we take it sportingly. There's going to be a second innings, so if they can take it that way, it would be great," Vijay added.

Relations between the two teams have been on the boil since Kohli accused Australia and his opposite number Steve Smith of abusing the Decision Review System (DRS) during the second Test in Bangalore.

Smith had looked up to the dressing room for guidance while mulling an lbw review and later termed it as "brain fade" but Kohli insisted the incident was not one-off.

While the captain's stuck to their respective versions, the cricket board's of the two sides closed the matter with a joint statement.

The four-match series is tantalisingly poised at 1-1.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE