"You Can't Hang A Man...": India And Australia Ex-Cricketers Argue Over Virat Kohli's Fine For Sam Konstas Clash

Virat Kohli was not extended any special treatment, asserted Indian great Sunil Gavaskar but some former Australian players felt the batting superstar got away lightly for his physical altercation with debutant Sam Konstas in the ongoing Boxing Day Test here. Kohli was fined 20 per cent of his match fee and handed a demerit point for a brief face off with Konstas on Thursday during which the two players bumped shoulders and exchanged words. The run-in was initiated by Kohli but the 19-year-old Konstas insisted that their physical contact was accidental.

The showdown remained a talking point even on Friday with Gavaskar slamming the Australian media for going after Kohli and demanding harsher punishment for him.

"You can't hang a man for picking someone's pocket," Gavaskar remarked, dismissing claims that Kohli was let off lightly.

"That's a slap on the wrist. All these players are highly paid professionals. Any fines will have to be a deterrent. Yes, you could say that the degree of punishment maybe light because of what we see and experience but that's the maximum punishment decided by the ICC," he pointed out on Star Sports after the first session.

"So, it's not that he's been done any favour. If the final punishment would have been say 10 percent you could have said then there's a favour done," he added.

Criticising the Australian media, Gavaskar said, "The Australian media acts like their 12th or 13th player, targeting anyone they perceive as a threat to their team.

"They are asking that Kohli should be hanged for a minor offence and he's got away because he is Kohli but that's not it." However, former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting argued that the punishment was insufficient.

"Personally, I don't think it was harsh