Virat, you got to play some shots: Former Australia batter recalls sledging India star

Former Australia batter Joe Burns, who’s currently leading Italy recently recalled how sledging Virat Kohli in 2014 backfired for his team. Burns made his debut against India during the third Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2014-15 at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

He recalled how he planned to disrupt Kohli’s confidence by asking him to play some shots in the middle of his innings. However, the comment backfired big time as Kohli made a sharp retort, reminding Burns that he was on his debut.

“I’m fairly certain Virat scored 100 that day. There was a little bit of chirp going on. Not sledging, just obviously we got Hadzi behind the stumps and Watto at first slip. Nathan Lyon was bowling, so I’m in close. I think it’d been four hours. I hadn’t said a word. I think I said one line. I said to him, ‘Virat, you got to play some shots’,” Burns told Crictracker.

Burns further mentioned that he understood his mistake and didn’t say anything for the next four days.

“He stopped the bowler, stopped Nathan Lyon, turned to me and said, ‘You don’t talk, rookie.’ Next ball he faced up, smacked it through covers. It was very embarrassing for me. I didn’t say a word the next four days after that, but it showed me that Virat was not someone to mess with,” Burns said with a laugh.

Kohli went on to play a marathon innings of 169 (272), smashing 18 fours in his knock. It was the then highest score for the India star in the longest format. He further scored 54 in the second innings to help India draw the match. He also smashed another century in the fourth and final Test of the series in Sydney and finished the rubber with a whopping 692 runs from eight innings at an average of 86.50 with four centuries. However, despite his stellar show, India lost the series by 0-2.