[ad_1]
Virat Kohli has questioned whether England acted “in the spirit of the game” by claiming a controversial low catch during the Twenty20 quarter in Ahmedabad last Thursday.
Speaking on the eve of Tuesday’s first one-day international match in Pune, the India captain voluntarily voiced his opinion on referee Nitin Menon’s so-called “soft signal” that led to Suryakumar Yadav being handed over when held by Dawid Malan in the deep.
Replays requested by Menon suggested that the ball may have touched the ground when Malan lunged forward, but despite four minutes of consideration from various angles, the third referee, Virender Sharma, felt he lacked conclusive evidence to nullify his colleague in the field.
Everything was within protocols, but Kohli felt that Menon’s initial soft signal, made from 60 yards away, was possibly influenced by England’s celebrations and, although his team prevailed before claiming the 3-2 series victory on Saturday, he has now wondered whether this factor deserves further scrutiny.
Kohli said: “We have to consider how a fielding team responds to a layoff that is claimed like this, because then we have to question what the guidelines are and what the spirit of the game is. If something like this happened with the Indian team abroad, there would be a totally different conversation about the spirit of cricket. It is something serious that must be taken into account because there is a lot at stake ”.
Relations between the two sides over the past eight weeks have been generally cordial, but it remains to be seen how the ODI unfolds after a passionate exchange of words between Kohli and Jos Buttler during the final T20 that, although neither was disciplined, he suggested an excess of familiarity. begins to become a factor.
When asked about this, Eoin Morgan, England’s captain, said: “When matches are closed, there is a chance that emotions can run wild, which is to be expected. That is the nature of what we do. Both parties strive to win and bring out the best in us, but the relationships are good. “
Lancashire, meanwhile, announced the hiring of Indian mid-range hitter Shreyas Iyer for the group stage of the Royal London Cup this summer in a blow to the county given that the tournament takes place at the same time as the Hundred.
Iyer said: “Lancashire is a legendary name in English cricket with a longstanding association with Indian cricket. I am extremely honored and honored to carry on the legacy of greats like Farokh Engineer, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman in Lancashire. “
