BGT: Ponting reckons Kohli's fine for shouldering Konstas wasn't 'harsh enough'

Melbourne: The ICC fined Virat Kohli 20 per cent of his match fees for deliberately shouldering Australian teenager Sam Konstas on day one of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting feels it was not harsh enough. Calling out the instance from the commentary box, Ponting expressed disappointment ahead of day two with how Kohli got away with a minute punishment, claiming 'it's different for some people'.

"Personally, I do not think it [the punishment] was harsh enough. I know there are precedents [where similar infringements have incurred similar-sized penalties] - they have generally been between a 15 and 25 per cent fine, but let us have a think about the enormity of yesterday,” Ponting said while speaking on 7 Cricket ahead of day two.

After Australia elected to bat first at the MCG, Konstas, who had replaced McSweeney and was making his Test debut, smoked Indian ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah for 18 runs in his fourth over, including hitting him a six off a reverse scoop.

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His stroke play impressed everyone except Virat, who bumped into Konstas after the end of the 10th over, leading to a confrontation.

Usman Khawaja and the on-field umpires had to intervene to separate them, with the crowd and social media buzzing over the incident.

Cricket Australia reported first that the ICC would look into the matter following the day’s play, and they did, finding Kohli guilty of breaching their code of conduct and punishing him for the same.

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Kohli accepted the fine.

However, Ponting talked about its larger implications.

“It is probably the most-watched day of cricket all year all around the world. Imagine if that happens in a grade game on the weekend now, what is going to happen there? I think people are going to think that that is almost acceptable now,” Ponting noted.

'Punishments are different for different people'

The former Aussie captain, who during his time was also a fierce competitor, didn’t mince his words in implying that Kohli perhaps escaped a ban, adding there are different punishments for different people.

"And, unfortunately, for someone like Virat, as we got told as players and as senior players, sometimes it is [the scale of punishment] just different for some people. He is a role model; he is somebody the cricketing world looks up to, so I, personally, do not think that the fine was harsh enough,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Australia scored 474 in the first innings, thanks to a brilliant 140 from Steve Smith – his record 34th Test ton, second of this series, fifth at the MCG and 18th overall in Australia.

In reply, India lost their captain Rohit Sharma (3) and KL Rahul (24) before tea on day two.

(With inputs from agencies)