Virat Kohli, famous for his intense presence on the field, has always had a bit of a tumultuous relationship with the crowd. His interactions with fans, particularly during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, often lead to strong reactions, with Australian supporters frequently booing him in the stands. On Sunday, while India was trying to defend a target of 162 in Sydney, Kohli hit back at the jeers with a bold and pointed gesture.

He mimicked emptying his pockets, a nod to the notorious sandpapergate scandal that shook Australian cricket back in early 2018. During a Test match against South Africa, Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper to alter the ball's condition, giving the Aussie bowlers an unfair advantage.

As a result of the scandal, Bancroft, along with then-captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner, faced bans. Smith and Warner were both suspended from international cricket for a year, and Smith lost his captaincy. However, a few years later, Cricket Australia decided to lift the leadership ban on Smith.

Interestingly, Kohli's gesture came right after Steve Smith was dismissed in that innings.

Check out Kohli's move:

Virat Kohli's relationship with the Australian fans has always been a bit rocky, but things have really escalated during the current series. The 36-year-old found himself in hot water during the fourth Test in Melbourne after a shoulder bump with debutant Sam Konstas, which put him in the spotlight.

Even after getting hit with a 20 percent fine on his match fee and facing a chorus of boos from the Aussie crowd throughout the match, Kohli didn’t back down. Instead, he encouraged the fans to boo even louder, proving he wasn’t bothered by their jeers and was ready to keep the drama alive.

On Day 3 of the ongoing Sydney Test, Kohli took over as captain since Jasprit Bumrah was sidelined due to an injury he picked up on Day 2. Bumrah had to be rushed to the hospital for scans, and it turned out he was dealing with back spasms. Although he managed to bat in India's second innings, the team missed their ace bowler during Australia’s chase of 162 runs.

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