Virat Kohli might have grabbed attention for the wrong reasons at the start of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, but he kicked off Day 2 on a positive note. After facing backlash from fans and former players for his shoulder bump with 19-year-old Australian debutant Sam Konstas, Kohli made a nice gesture towards Australia's star player, Steve Smith, on Friday. When Smith hit a boundary off Nitish Kumar Reddy to reach his 34th Test century, Kohli was quick to applaud him. He patiently let Smith enjoy the crowd's cheers before walking over to give him a friendly pat on the back.

Kohli and Smith have a long history together, having started their careers in the U19 World Cup in Malaysia back in 2008. Their friendship has only deepened since then. Kohli's earlier gesture during the 2019 ODI World Cup, where he urged the crowd not to boo Smith, even earned him the ICC Fair Play award that year. Smith, for his part, has always considered Kohli one of the greatest players across all formats.

Steve Smith puts Australia on top

Kohli got hit with a 20% fine and a demerit point for breaking the ICC's Code of Conduct, but he wasn't the only one giving props to Smith, who matched legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Younis Khan, and Mahela Jayawardene with his 34th Test century. KL Rahul was also spotted cheering for him.

Smith also overtook Virat Kohli to become the player with the most centuries in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This marked Kohli's 11th Test century against India, making him the record holder for any batter.

The former Australia captain, who made a strong comeback with a century in the third Test in Brisbane, kept his MCG magic alive by scoring his fifth Test century at that ground.

Unfortunately for Smith, he was out for 140 after charging down the pitch and inside-edging the ball onto his pads, which then ricocheted back onto the stumps. Still, his innings helped Australia set a solid first total of 474 after choosing to bat first in this crucial fourth Test.

In response, India lost their captain Rohit Sharma early, and Pat Cummins delivered a stunning ball that clean bowled KL Rahul just before Tea, putting the visitors in a tough spot.

Read Also: Nathan Lyon Mocks Rohit Sharma's Opening Decision with a Sharp Taunt at KL Rahul

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