IND vs AUS: Ricky Ponting Criticizes Virat Kohli for Shoulder-Bump with Sam Konstas, Fans Call Out His Hypocrisy

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In the high-stakes atmosphere of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, day one of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne saw a heated on-field clash between India's Virat Kohli and Australia's debutant, Sam Konstas.

The drama unfolded when Kohli shouldered the 19-year-old debutant as both teams changed sides at the end of the 10th over. Kohli, who had been vocal throughout the day, seemed to deliberately bump into Konstas, causing a brief confrontation.

The altercation quickly gained attention, with many experts criticizing Kohli for instigating the incident. Among the harshest critics was former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who didn't mince words during his live commentary.

Ponting accused Kohli of deliberately walking across the pitch to provoke the young opener, stating, "Have a look where Virat walks. Virat walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever."

Ponting continued, "I have no doubt that the umpires and the referee will have a good look at that. Fielders should be nowhere near the batsman at that stage. It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late; he wouldn't even know anyone was in front of him. That man on-screen there (Kohli) might have a few questions to answer." His remarks sparked a fierce debate among fans and pundits alike.

Throwback to Altercation Between Ricky Ponting and Harbhajan Singh

However, as the situation escalated, Indian fans swiftly reminded Ponting of his own history of on-field confrontations. A resurfaced video from the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup in Sharjah showed Ponting clashing with a young Harbhajan Singh, then only 19 years old.

After being dismissed by Harbhajan, Ponting barged into the spinner and exchanged heated words before walking off the field. Fans took to social media, pointing out the hypocrisy of Ponting criticizing Kohli for actions that mirrored his own behavior during his playing days.

While Kohli faced backlash, the International Cricket Council (ICC) took action by fining the Indian star 20% of his match fee and handing him a demerit point for the incident. Despite this, Kohli's fiery spirit continued to be a point of discussion in the ongoing Test match, where Australia closed the day at 311/6.