Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has expressed concern that Virat Kohli's reactions to the persistent booing from Australian fans have placed unnecessary strain on his fellow Indian teammates. Gavaskar criticized Kohli's actions during Day 3 of the Sydney Test, where he made a gesture by placing his hands in his empty trouser pockets and then revealing them, which was seen as a veiled reference to the infamous Sandpaper Gate scandal that shook Australian cricket in 2018. He noted that such behaviour turns the other members of the Indian team into targets for the Australian crowd.

"Kohli must recognize that his responses to the audience's jeers inadvertently increase the pressure on his teammates, who also become subjects of the spectators' ire," Gavaskar stated in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Kohli, who had garnered significant support leading up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, sparked controversy by nudging debutant Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. This incident led to Virat Kohli being booed each time he came to bat, a reaction that has drawn criticism from several former cricketers, including former England player Michael Vaughan, who deemed it an excessive response towards a player of Kohli's stature.

Gavaskar emphasized that Kohli should have refrained from physical contact with the 19-year-old Australian debutant. "The shoulder bump incident was simply inappropriate. While Indian players are known to retaliate when provoked, in this case, the provocation was nonexistent. Experienced players learn that attempting to respond to crowd behaviour is futile; fans are there to enjoy themselves, and booing is not a personal attack but rather a form of entertainment. Reacting to such behaviour does not benefit the player and can, in fact, be detrimental," he concluded.

Gavaskar expresses concerns regarding the performance of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma experienced a challenging series in Australia. Over the course of five Tests, Kohli accumulated a mere 190 runs, resulting in an average of 23.75, with half of those runs—100—coming from a single innings in Perth. Throughout the series, Kohli was dismissed eight times, each instance resulting from an edge to either the wicketkeeper or the slip fielders while attempting to play deliveries outside the off stump. Rohit Sharma's performance was even less impressive; he participated in only three Tests—missing the first match and opting out of the final Test due to his poor form—managing to score just 31 runs at an average of 6.

Gavaskar remarked that both players face significant questions regarding their futures in red-ball cricket. He noted, "Kohli's ongoing struggles to refrain from edging deliveries outside the off-stump have hindered his ability to contribute meaningfully to the team's total. As for the captain, Rohit Sharma, his decision to step back due to his form raises serious concerns about his prospects in Test cricket."

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