'Take up cage fighting': England great takes a dig at 'villain' Virat Kohli over his antics in Edgbaston Test

Virat Kohli might not have been in the best of form with the bat during the recently-concluded rescheduled fifth Test between India and England at Edgbaston in Birmingham but he was a livewire on the pitch. Despite struggling with the bat on the persona front, Kohli didn't let his intensity go down while fielding and was in the thick of the action throughout the Test match which India ended up losing by 7 wickets.

India lost the game after England comfortably chased down the mighty target of 378 runs in their second innings to script history as the hosts pulled off their biggest ever run-chase in Test cricket. Both India and England players gave their all but the hosts managed to come out on top in the end with a comprehensive win.

Kohli, who was spotted giving the Indian team a pep talk on the field on Day 1 of the Test match, remained actively involved in the proceedings. He was often seen celebrating passionately after the dismissals of the England batters and also tried to sledge a few while fielding. Kohli enjoyed a verbal battle with Jonny Bairstow in both innings and tried to get on the nerves of the English star.

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During England's second innings, Kohli was seen walking up to Bairstow and having a heated spat before asking him to shut his lips with his gesture. However, it didn't affect Bairstow much as he went on to score centuries in both innings to help his team win the game and draw the five-match series 2-2.

Former England cricketer David Llyod was far from impressed with Kohli's antics during the Test match and slammed him for his behaviour. The cricketer-turned commentator took a dig at Kohli suggesting he should take up cage fighting instead of playing cricket.

"Having said that, I do wonder where the line is and who draws it. Sportsmanship, banter, boorish behaviour, insults, abuse — we saw everything on day four. Cricket is a non-contact sport, but if a player feels the need to engage another, my advice is: take up cage fighting and have a proper go. Let’s see what you’re really made of," Lloyd wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

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Llyod later went on to call Kohli a 'pantomime villain' over his continuous sledging of England players but lauded the former India captain for his gesture post the conclusion of the game. Kohli was seen congratulating both Joe Root and Bairstow after England won the game with the help of unbeaten centuries from the duo.

"I thought the on-field scenes at the conclusion of the game were glorious, with India’s players congratulating Root and Jonny Bairstow and recognising the epic job they had done. Special mention for Virat Kohli who at times plays the pantomime villain, but who had a special word with both players. I like that," Llyod added.