The competition between India and Australia escalated on the opening morning of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, following a shoulder-to-shoulder clash between Virat Kohli and Australia’s 19-year-old debutant, Sam Konstas, which led to a verbal exchange.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Australia reached a solid position of 112/1 by lunch, with Konstas showcasing his skills by scoring an impressive 60 runs off 65 balls. As Konstas continued to challenge India’s bowlers, the dynamics on the field shifted unexpectedly when Kohli passed him at the conclusion of the 10th over, resulting in a shoulder collision.

This incident prompted a brief confrontation, with both players engaging in a verbal exchange. Kohli, visibly annoyed, began to approach Konstas again, but the situation was swiftly calmed by Usman Khawaja, who stepped in between them. The seasoned Australian batsman attempted to ease tensions by patting Konstas on the arm and placing a friendly hand on Kohli's shoulder.

“Virat’s walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that,” remarked former Australia captain Ricky Ponting during an interview with Channel Seven.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan commented on Fox Cricket that Kohli might face scrutiny from the match referee. “It’s Kohli that goes off line and he walks into Sam,” Vaughan stated.

Will Virat Kohli be in trouble?

Match referee Andy Pycroft is poised to examine the incident involving Kohli and Konstas, as there is a potential breach of the Code of Conduct concerning both players.

The ICC's Code of Conduct explicitly states that "any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket," and players are required to refrain from reckless or negligent behavior, which includes both intentional and unintentional contact with other players or umpires.

Should Pycroft conclude that the shoulder-to-shoulder collision constitutes a Level Two offence, either Kohli or Konstas may face significant repercussions, including the imposition of three or four demerit points. Accumulating four demerit points would result in a suspension, which could prevent the player from participating in the New Year’s Test in Sydney.

Conversely, a Level One offence would likely incur a milder penalty, such as a fine based on the match fee, without further consequences. This situation may evoke memories of Kagiso Rabada’s incident during the 2018 South Africa-Australia Test series, where the South African fast bowler was initially assigned three demerit points for making contact with Steve Smith, a penalty that was later overturned on appeal.