<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-irritated-by-resignation-letter-tells-mattis-to-go-2-months-early-186055">Trump, irritated by resignation letter, tells Mattis to go 2 months early</a>

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was replacing Defence Secretary Jim Mattis two months earlier than had been expected, a move officials said was driven by Trump's anger at Mattis' resignation letter and its rebuke of his foreign policy.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/relishing-battle-with-virat-kohli-says-australia-captain-tim-paine-186063">'Relishing' battle with Virat Kohli, says Australia captain Tim Paine</a>

Australia skipper Tim Paine said Monday he is relishing his sometimes heated battle with animated Indian counterpart Virat Kohli, and promised "intense, hard" cricket in the crunch Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.

The pair had some testy exchanges in the second Test at Perth, which at one point needed the umpire to intervene.

And Kohli offered only a frosty handshake at the end of the game, which Australia won to level the four-Test series 1-1, refusing to meet Paine's eye in a move blasted by some as disrespectful.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/another-tsunami-could-hit-indonesia-experts-warn-186056">Another tsunami could hit Indonesia, warn experts</a>

Another tsunami could strike Indonesia, experts warned on Sunday, a day after more than 200 people were killed by a wave triggered by a volcanic eruption.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/doctor-kills-ex-wife-keeps-her-alive-on-social-media-for-7-months-186064">UP doctor kills ex-wife, keeps her 'alive' on social media for 7 months</a>

A UP doctor and owner of a hospital killed his ex-wife and kept her "alive" on social media for seven months to hoodwink the authorities.&nbsp;

Dr Dharmendra Pratap Singh, with the help of two employees, killed his wife in Pokhara, Nepal in June 2018 by throwing her off a cliff.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/ashutosh-rana-madhur-bhandarkar-back-naseeruddin-shahs-comment-on-bulandshahr-violence-186062">Ashutosh Rana, Madhur Bhandarkar come out in support of Naseeruddin Shah</a>

Bollywood actor Ashutosh Rana and film director Madhur Bhandarkar have come out in support of Naseeruddin Shah over the veteran actor`s recent comment on Bulandshahr violence.

Speaking on the ongoing controversy surrounding Shah`s comment, Rana stated that everyone has a right to share their thoughts. 
&nbsp;

Trump, irritated by resignation letter, tells Mattis to go 2 months early US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was replacing Defence Secretary Jim Mattis two months earlier than had been expected, a move officials said was driven by Trump's anger at Mattis' resignation letter and its rebuke of his foreign policy.

Trump, irritated by resignation letter, tells Mattis to go 2 months early US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was replacing Defence Secretary Jim Mattis two months earlier than had been expected, a move officials said was driven by Trump's anger at Mattis' resignation letter and its rebuke of his foreign policy. 'Relishing' battle with Virat Kohli, says Australia captain Tim Paine Australia skipper Tim Paine said Monday he is relishing his sometimes heated battle with animated Indian counterpart Virat Kohli, and promised "intense, hard" cricket in the crunch Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. The pair had some testy exchanges in the second Test at Perth, which at one point needed the umpire to intervene. And Kohli offered only a frosty handshake at the end of the game, which Australia won to level the four-Test series 1-1, refusing to meet Paine's eye in a move blasted by some as disrespectful. Another tsunami could hit Indonesia, warn experts Another tsunami could strike Indonesia, experts warned on Sunday, a day after more than 200 people were killed by a wave triggered by a volcanic eruption. UP doctor kills ex-wife, keeps her 'alive' on social media for 7 months A UP doctor and owner of a hospital killed his ex-wife and kept her "alive" on social media for seven months to hoodwink the authorities. Dr Dharmendra Pratap Singh, with the help of two employees, killed his wife in Pokhara, Nepal in June 2018 by throwing her off a cliff. Ashutosh Rana, Madhur Bhandarkar come out in support of Naseeruddin Shah Bollywood actor Ashutosh Rana and film director Madhur Bhandarkar have come out in support of Naseeruddin Shah over the veteran actor`s recent comment on Bulandshahr violence. Speaking on the ongoing controversy surrounding Shah`s comment, Rana stated that everyone has a right to share their thoughts.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Australia skipper Tim Paine said Monday he is relishing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/you-cant-like-virat-kohli-as-a-man-paine-caught-saying-to-murali-vijay-on-stump-mic-184815">his sometimes heated battle with animated Indian counterpart Virat </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/you-cant-like-virat-kohli-as-a-man-paine-caught-saying-to-murali-vijay-on-stump-mic-184815">Kohli</a>, and promised "intense, hard" cricket in the crunch Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.

The pair had some testy exchanges in the second Test at Perth, which at one point needed the umpire to intervene.

And Kohli offered only a frosty handshake at the end of the game, which Australia won to level the four-Test series 1-1, refusing to meet Paine's eye in a move blasted by some as disrespectful.

But Paine said he appreciated that Kohli never liked to lose.

"A lot was made of my battle with Virat in the second Test, and for the past few years when I haven't been playing international cricket, he was one guy I loved watching," he said in a column for Melbourne's Herald Sun.

"Now to be out in the middle going head-to-head with him in a Test series is something I'm really relishing."

Paine said he was not annoyed "in the slightest" by Kohli looking straight past him at the handshake.

"Virat is someone who is prepared to wear his heart on his sleeve and like all professional athletes, hates to lose," he said.

"I like the way Virat plays. I don't know him personally but I've always admired -- not only his obvious skill as a player -- but the passion and aggression he plays with. People like to see that and he gets fans through the gates."

Kohli's antics in Perth, where he also failed to acknowledge the crowd's applause after he was controversially given out in the first innings for 123, brought a stunning rebuke from veteran Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah.

Middle-order puzzle 
He described him as "not only the world's best batsman but also <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/after-mike-hussey-naseeruddin-shah-slams-virat-kohli-by-calling-him-worlds-worst-behaved-player-184868">the world's worst behaved player</a>", with the mass-circulation Hindustan Times saying it articulated what many Indian cricket fans had been thinking.

His behaviour when the Melbourne Test begins on Wednesday will closely watched, but he has the backing of coach Ravi Shastri who on Sunday called Kohli "an absolute gentleman".

Australian coach Justin Langer said Monday his biggest selection headache was whether to persist with middle-order batsman Peter Handscomb or recall all-rounder Mitch Marsh to ease the pressure on pace spearheads Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.

"In a perfectly balanced side you'll have someone who can bowl some overs so Mitch becomes an attractive commodity on a wicket probably unlike Adelaide and Perth," he said, where the surface offered fast bowlers plenty of opportunities.

On the other hand, Handscomb would be an asset if the visitors opt for two spinners.&nbsp;

India are sweating on the fitness of key spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was sidelined with an abdominal strain for the Perth Test.&nbsp;

Left-arm off-spinning all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is also carrying a niggle but is expected to be fit, as is experienced batsman Rohit Sharma, who also missed the second Test.

India's main concern is the form of openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay, who have struggled for runs, putting an extra burden on Kohli and number three Cheteshwar Pujara.

Shastri made clear on Sunday more was expected from them in Melbourne.

"It's obvious and that responsibility and accountability has to be taken by the top order," he said.

"They've got the experience, they've got the exposure over these last few years to get out there and deliver."

Australia skipper Tim Paine said Monday he is relishing his sometimes heated battle with animated Indian counterpart Virat Kohli, and promised "intense, hard" cricket in the crunch Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.

Australia skipper Tim Paine said Monday he is relishing his sometimes heated battle with animated Indian counterpart Virat Kohli, and promised "intense, hard" cricket in the crunch Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. The pair had some testy exchanges in the second Test at Perth, which at one point needed the umpire to intervene. And Kohli offered only a frosty handshake at the end of the game, which Australia won to level the four-Test series 1-1, refusing to meet Paine's eye in a move blasted by some as disrespectful. But Paine said he appreciated that Kohli never liked to lose. "A lot was made of my battle with Virat in the second Test, and for the past few years when I haven't been playing international cricket, he was one guy I loved watching," he said in a column for Melbourne's Herald Sun. "Now to be out in the middle going head-to-head with him in a Test series is something I'm really relishing." Paine said he was not annoyed "in the slightest" by Kohli looking straight past him at the handshake. "Virat is someone who is prepared to wear his heart on his sleeve and like all professional athletes, hates to lose," he said. "I like the way Virat plays. I don't know him personally but I've always admired -- not only his obvious skill as a player -- but the passion and aggression he plays with. People like to see that and he gets fans through the gates." Kohli's antics in Perth, where he also failed to acknowledge the crowd's applause after he was controversially given out in the first innings for 123, brought a stunning rebuke from veteran Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah. Middle-order puzzle He described him as "not only the world's best batsman but also the world's worst behaved player", with the mass-circulation Hindustan Times saying it articulated what many Indian cricket fans had been thinking. His behaviour when the Melbourne Test begins on Wednesday will closely watched, but he has the backing of coach Ravi Shastri who on Sunday called Kohli "an absolute gentleman". Australian coach Justin Langer said Monday his biggest selection headache was whether to persist with middle-order batsman Peter Handscomb or recall all-rounder Mitch Marsh to ease the pressure on pace spearheads Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. "In a perfectly balanced side you'll have someone who can bowl some overs so Mitch becomes an attractive commodity on a wicket probably unlike Adelaide and Perth," he said, where the surface offered fast bowlers plenty of opportunities. On the other hand, Handscomb would be an asset if the visitors opt for two spinners. India are sweating on the fitness of key spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was sidelined with an abdominal strain for the Perth Test. Left-arm off-spinning all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is also carrying a niggle but is expected to be fit, as is experienced batsman Rohit Sharma, who also missed the second Test. India's main concern is the form of openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay, who have struggled for runs, putting an extra burden on Kohli and number three Cheteshwar Pujara. Shastri made clear on Sunday more was expected from them in Melbourne. "It's obvious and that responsibility and accountability has to be taken by the top order," he said. "They've got the experience, they've got the exposure over these last few years to get out there and deliver."

'Relishing' battle with Virat Kohli, says Australia captain Tim Paine

MS Dhoni Monday returned to India's T20 squad for the February series against New Zealand, while young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was dropped from the ODI squad.

Dhoni's return comes as a surprise since he was dropped from the T20s against Australia only last month. The reason cited by the selectors at that time was that they were looking for a second wicketkeeper in the format.

However, justifying the 37-year-old's selection, a BCCI official, on conditions of anonymity, told PTI, "Since there are only eight ODIs (three against Australia and five against New Zealand), selectors want to give MS as much game time as possible (before the World Cup). Three T20Is means 11 international matches through the next one month."

In the ODI squad, the 21-year-old Pant's axing is the only change that the selectors have made to the side that competed against the West Indies in a home series in October-November.

India are currently engaged in a Test series against Australia and will play three ODIs against them starting January 12 in Sydney.&nbsp;

This will be followed by a limited-overs engagement with New Zealand, starting with five ODIs from January 23. The three T20 Internationals against Kiwis are lined up from February 6.&nbsp;

The squads:

India's squad for ODI series against Australia and NZ: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (VC), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami.

 
India's squad for T20I series against NZ: Virat Kohli(Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed.

MS Dhoni Monday returned to India's T20 squad for the February series against New Zealand, while young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was dropped from the ODI squad.

MS Dhoni Monday returned to India's T20 squad for the February series against New Zealand, while young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was dropped from the ODI squad. Dhoni's return comes as a surprise since he was dropped from the T20s against Australia only last month. The reason cited by the selectors at that time was that they were looking for a second wicketkeeper in the format. However, justifying the 37-year-old's selection, a BCCI official, on conditions of anonymity, told PTI, "Since there are only eight ODIs (three against Australia and five against New Zealand), selectors want to give MS as much game time as possible (before the World Cup). Three T20Is means 11 international matches through the next one month." In the ODI squad, the 21-year-old Pant's axing is the only change that the selectors have made to the side that competed against the West Indies in a home series in October-November. India are currently engaged in a Test series against Australia and will play three ODIs against them starting January 12 in Sydney. This will be followed by a limited-overs engagement with New Zealand, starting with five ODIs from January 23. The three T20 Internationals against Kiwis are lined up from February 6. The squads: India's squad for ODI series against Australia and NZ: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (VC), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami. India's squad for T20I series against NZ: Virat Kohli(Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed.

MS Dhoni returns in India's squad for Australia and NZ ODIs; Pant dropped

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=virat+kohli">Virat Kohli</a> might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg Saturday defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him.&nbsp;

"Virat Kohli is the energy of this Indian team. He is their clear leader and they feed off him. You just see him on the field - his athleticism is different and he expects that from the Indian team," Hogg told PTI.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"And what he expects from the team, he does as well, so it is not as if he is telling the team what to do without leading from the front. He is actually leading from the front and asking his teammates to follow him," he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Talking about Kohli's batting, Hogg said: "As a batsman too, Kohli is on a different level to anyone else. Perhaps only Usman Khawaja came close, that too in the second innings where he batted with a lot of composure," said 47-year-old Hogg who played seven Tests between 1996 to 2008.&nbsp;

"But even then, they don't have someone on the same level as Kohli. He is a different batsman to everybody else - he finds boundaries and rotates strike, and turns momentum of the game at will," he added.&nbsp;

Hogg said India would need to find balance going into the third Test to put Australia under pressure. He said both the teams might look to play a pace-bowling all-round at the MCG.&nbsp;

The four-match Test series is now levelled at 1-1, with India winning in Adelaide and Australia drawing level in Perth.&nbsp;

Hogg said he hopes to see a close contest in the remaining two Tests.&nbsp;

"I only really want a close series. We have had two close Test matches, and that's what we want. We want Australia tested on their home soil and they have been tested a couple of times previously by Indian teams coming here," said the left-arm spinner.&nbsp;

"It will be interesting to see how India will balance their team going into the MCG Test. Both teams might look to play the extra bowler by picking the all-rounder and added to their bowling depth."&nbsp;

Hogg heaped praise on Indian pacers and said it would be a huge opportunity for the visitors against a 'relatively weak' Australian side.&nbsp;

"India have to be proud with the way their pacers have bowled in both Tests. They have been aggressive and won the first Test, and it was very important because it gave them energy and belief," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"This is a huge opportunity for India because of the relative weakness of the Australian team. So that adds pressure and it plays on back of their minds. Perth tested this bowling attack's character and they showed true fight, but didn't score enough runs."&nbsp;

India also faced flak for not playing a spinner at the Perth pitch where Nathan Lyon scalped eight wickets, despite the wicket favouring the pacers.&nbsp;

Hogg backed the decision saying in absence of injured Ravichandran Ashwin, India simply couldn't play Ravindra Jadeja or Kuldeep Yadav for a lack of aid from the pace-friendly pitch.&nbsp;

"See, Ashwin wasn't fit and yes, they did have Jadeja and Kuldeep. I would have loved to see Kuldeep bowl on that track, but even Nathan Lyon didn't get too much turn," he said.&nbsp;

"As for Jadeja, he would have been spinning into a long left-handed Australian line-up so India probably had that point at the back of their mind. I suspect India might have made the right decision but it came down to the first hour on day one," he opined.&nbsp;

Hogg said the Australian openers have made all the difference in the series so far for the home team, surely as compared to their Indian counterparts.&nbsp;

"It was an enthralling Test match and India can be proud of how they fought. But the difference was in the opening partnerships. The way Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch added 112 runs, they made India chase the game from the first hour on day one," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Indian pacers couldn't figure out line or length for the first two sessions and that's where this game got away from them.&nbsp;

"It happens sometimes in Perth, when opposition teams arrive here. They can get carried away seeing the green grass or bounce, and are not able to adjust lengths. It gave Australia impetus and India never recovered from there," Hogg said.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg Saturday defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him.

Virat Kohli might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg Saturday defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him. "Virat Kohli is the energy of this Indian team. He is their clear leader and they feed off him. You just see him on the field - his athleticism is different and he expects that from the Indian team," Hogg told PTI. "And what he expects from the team, he does as well, so it is not as if he is telling the team what to do without leading from the front. He is actually leading from the front and asking his teammates to follow him," he added. Talking about Kohli's batting, Hogg said: "As a batsman too, Kohli is on a different level to anyone else. Perhaps only Usman Khawaja came close, that too in the second innings where he batted with a lot of composure," said 47-year-old Hogg who played seven Tests between 1996 to 2008. "But even then, they don't have someone on the same level as Kohli. He is a different batsman to everybody else - he finds boundaries and rotates strike, and turns momentum of the game at will," he added. Hogg said India would need to find balance going into the third Test to put Australia under pressure. He said both the teams might look to play a pace-bowling all-round at the MCG. The four-match Test series is now levelled at 1-1, with India winning in Adelaide and Australia drawing level in Perth. Hogg said he hopes to see a close contest in the remaining two Tests. "I only really want a close series. We have had two close Test matches, and that's what we want. We want Australia tested on their home soil and they have been tested a couple of times previously by Indian teams coming here," said the left-arm spinner. "It will be interesting to see how India will balance their team going into the MCG Test. Both teams might look to play the extra bowler by picking the all-rounder and added to their bowling depth." Hogg heaped praise on Indian pacers and said it would be a huge opportunity for the visitors against a 'relatively weak' Australian side. "India have to be proud with the way their pacers have bowled in both Tests. They have been aggressive and won the first Test, and it was very important because it gave them energy and belief," he said. "This is a huge opportunity for India because of the relative weakness of the Australian team. So that adds pressure and it plays on back of their minds. Perth tested this bowling attack's character and they showed true fight, but didn't score enough runs." India also faced flak for not playing a spinner at the Perth pitch where Nathan Lyon scalped eight wickets, despite the wicket favouring the pacers. Hogg backed the decision saying in absence of injured Ravichandran Ashwin, India simply couldn't play Ravindra Jadeja or Kuldeep Yadav for a lack of aid from the pace-friendly pitch. "See, Ashwin wasn't fit and yes, they did have Jadeja and Kuldeep. I would have loved to see Kuldeep bowl on that track, but even Nathan Lyon didn't get too much turn," he said. "As for Jadeja, he would have been spinning into a long left-handed Australian line-up so India probably had that point at the back of their mind. I suspect India might have made the right decision but it came down to the first hour on day one," he opined. Hogg said the Australian openers have made all the difference in the series so far for the home team, surely as compared to their Indian counterparts. "It was an enthralling Test match and India can be proud of how they fought. But the difference was in the opening partnerships. The way Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch added 112 runs, they made India chase the game from the first hour on day one," he said. "Indian pacers couldn't figure out line or length for the first two sessions and that's where this game got away from them. "It happens sometimes in Perth, when opposition teams arrive here. They can get carried away seeing the green grass or bounce, and are not able to adjust lengths. It gave Australia impetus and India never recovered from there," Hogg said.

Virat Kohli is the energy of Indian team: Brad Hogg

Viv Richards is happy that the current Indian team has come a long way in terms of aggressive attitude from the teams that he played against and credit should go to skipper Virat Kohli for infusing positive attitude.&nbsp;

"India were not like this years back (70's, 80's and 90's). But it's nice to have someone like Virat. I love it (aggression), why not? They now love to give it back. That's what cricket is all about. I love Virat's captaincy," Richards said during a promotional event.&nbsp;

While there has been criticism for Kohli's aggressive brand of captaincy, Richards finds nothing wrong.&nbsp;

"He competes hard. He expects results. A lot of people have said he's too aggressive... I don't think so. When you have a guy who can lead from the front, it can only rub off on the individuals who are following him. As you can see, the Indian team today is the team to beat in world cricket."&nbsp;

Shifting focus to the ongoing India's Test series Down Under, Richards agreed to the euphoria that Kohli's men have the best chance to beat Australia for the first time.&nbsp;

"It's going to be a great series in Australia. Aussies have fought back well after India won the opening Test in Adelaide. Even though this Indian team are the number one, you should never underestimate Australia. They are fighters.&nbsp;

"With the series one-all now, it would be a very good one. But I would say India have the perfect chance to win a series in Australia under the aggressive captaincy of Kohli."&nbsp;

Asked about the plus point of India team, he said: "I remember the days when we came here for the first time in 1970s, they had the best spinners in the world. And now they have a great pace attack as well. I think that's the plus point."&nbsp;

For Richards, Sunil Gavaskar is the 'Godfather' of Indian batting. The bulk of Gavaskar's 34 Test hundreds have come against the fearsome West Indies pace attack of 70's and early 80's.&nbsp;

"I would say this for sure that he's the godfather of Indian batsmanship. He is not playing anymore. He's still in my opinion what he would have achieved in the past would have passed down the mantle to Sachin and now we see Virat. India should be very proud to have so many talented people, who are up there in world cricket."&nbsp;

Delving on the plight of West Indies cricket, Richards hoped they were half as good as Indians.&nbsp;

"We have gone through a bad phase, but in sport you should say never say never. So long we believe that we are going to turn it around at some phase, it's just a matter of time. It may be taking longer than normal. But at some point, we will be back at our best again," he concluded.

Viv Richards is happy that the current Indian team has come a long way in terms of aggressive attitude from the teams that he played against and credit should go to skipper Virat Kohli for infusing positive attitude.

Viv Richards is happy that the current Indian team has come a long way in terms of aggressive attitude from the teams that he played against and credit should go to skipper Virat Kohli for infusing positive attitude. "India were not like this years back (70's, 80's and 90's). But it's nice to have someone like Virat. I love it (aggression), why not? They now love to give it back. That's what cricket is all about. I love Virat's captaincy," Richards said during a promotional event. While there has been criticism for Kohli's aggressive brand of captaincy, Richards finds nothing wrong. "He competes hard. He expects results. A lot of people have said he's too aggressive... I don't think so. When you have a guy who can lead from the front, it can only rub off on the individuals who are following him. As you can see, the Indian team today is the team to beat in world cricket." Shifting focus to the ongoing India's Test series Down Under, Richards agreed to the euphoria that Kohli's men have the best chance to beat Australia for the first time. "It's going to be a great series in Australia. Aussies have fought back well after India won the opening Test in Adelaide. Even though this Indian team are the number one, you should never underestimate Australia. They are fighters. "With the series one-all now, it would be a very good one. But I would say India have the perfect chance to win a series in Australia under the aggressive captaincy of Kohli." Asked about the plus point of India team, he said: "I remember the days when we came here for the first time in 1970s, they had the best spinners in the world. And now they have a great pace attack as well. I think that's the plus point." For Richards, Sunil Gavaskar is the 'Godfather' of Indian batting. The bulk of Gavaskar's 34 Test hundreds have come against the fearsome West Indies pace attack of 70's and early 80's. "I would say this for sure that he's the godfather of Indian batsmanship. He is not playing anymore. He's still in my opinion what he would have achieved in the past would have passed down the mantle to Sachin and now we see Virat. India should be very proud to have so many talented people, who are up there in world cricket." Delving on the plight of West Indies cricket, Richards hoped they were half as good as Indians. "We have gone through a bad phase, but in sport you should say never say never. So long we believe that we are going to turn it around at some phase, it's just a matter of time. It may be taking longer than normal. But at some point, we will be back at our best again," he concluded.

India under Virat has learnt to give it back: Viv Richards

Former Australia captain Allan Border defended Virat Kohli's aggression, saying cricket needs characters like the Indian skipper who exude passion on the field.

"There's not many characters in our game at the moment. The professional era has sort of beaten that out to a certain degree," Border said on Fox Cricket's podcast -- The Follow-on.

Kohli has received severe criticism from the likes of Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson and Sanjay Manjrekar for his aggressive celebrations in the ongoing Test series in Australia.

The Indian skipper was also involved in a series of heated exchanges with his Australian counterpart Tim Paine, which prompted umpire Chris Gafaney to intervene during the second Test here.

"I haven't seen anyone sort of carry on so much as a captain when his side takes a wicket. It's really over the top but it's good in a way. You can see some passion about what he's trying to do," Border said.

Border added that perhaps Kohli's aggression stems from the desire to cement his legacy with an away series victory.

"He's so keen to win away from home and really deserve that number one ranking that's your KPIs (key performance indicators) as a captain I suppose," he said.

Under Kohli, India suffered two back-to-back away series defeats against South Africa and England this year.

"To drive the team to be number one, which he has achieved, but to win away from home is one of those important things you notice as a captain."

Border also opined that as the leader, Kohli feels the need to manifest the passion and drive.&nbsp;

"I think he's feeling that pinch. If you look at this Indian side he's probably the only one that has the character to get really animated," he said.

"The rest of the Indian boys are very good cricketers but seem to me a quiet bunch and maybe Kohli feels as skipper he needs to lead from the front and really show some passion and drive. I think it just comes naturally to him," he added.&nbsp;

Former Australia captain Allan Border defended Virat Kohli's aggression, saying cricket needs characters like the Indian skipper who exude passion on the field. "There's not many characters in our game at the moment.

Former Australia captain Allan Border defended Virat Kohli's aggression, saying cricket needs characters like the Indian skipper who exude passion on the field. "There's not many characters in our game at the moment. The professional era has sort of beaten that out to a certain degree," Border said on Fox Cricket's podcast -- The Follow-on. Kohli has received severe criticism from the likes of Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson and Sanjay Manjrekar for his aggressive celebrations in the ongoing Test series in Australia. The Indian skipper was also involved in a series of heated exchanges with his Australian counterpart Tim Paine, which prompted umpire Chris Gafaney to intervene during the second Test here. "I haven't seen anyone sort of carry on so much as a captain when his side takes a wicket. It's really over the top but it's good in a way. You can see some passion about what he's trying to do," Border said. Border added that perhaps Kohli's aggression stems from the desire to cement his legacy with an away series victory. "He's so keen to win away from home and really deserve that number one ranking that's your KPIs (key performance indicators) as a captain I suppose," he said. Under Kohli, India suffered two back-to-back away series defeats against South Africa and England this year. "To drive the team to be number one, which he has achieved, but to win away from home is one of those important things you notice as a captain." Border also opined that as the leader, Kohli feels the need to manifest the passion and drive. "I think he's feeling that pinch. If you look at this Indian side he's probably the only one that has the character to get really animated," he said. "The rest of the Indian boys are very good cricketers but seem to me a quiet bunch and maybe Kohli feels as skipper he needs to lead from the front and really show some passion and drive. I think it just comes naturally to him," he added.

Former Australia captain Border defends Kohli's aggression, says cricket needs such characters

Virat Kohli has been lately making headlines for his altercation with his &nbsp;Australian counterpart Tim Paine and today he is again in news but this time for his swashbuckling batting.&nbsp;

Indian cricket team captain, who scored a brilliant hundred in the 2nd Test, has retained his place as the top-ranked batsman in the ICC Test rankings.&nbsp;

The right-handed batsman's 123-run inning on a bounce and pace-rich Perth Stadium has helped Kohli accumulate 14 points and reach a total of 934, three away from his career-best Test rating points.

Kohli on Thursday has further extended his lead over New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson from seven to nineteen points. Kane, who became the first Kiwi cricketer to break the 900-point barrier in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, enjoys a tally of 915 points.&nbsp;

The 28-year-old also helped his side register their first win in an away series against an Asian side in 49 years, following excellent performances against Pakistan recently.

Meanwhile, Indian vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has gained two spots to finish 15th in the rankings while wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has jumped 11 places to a career-best 48th.&nbsp;

Amongst the bowlers, South African pacer Kagiso Rabada leads the charts with 882 points with English fast-bowler James Anderson closely trailing him.

Indian pacer Mohammad Shami jumped two spots to finish 24th in the rankings while Jasprit Bumrah gained five places to a career-best 28th. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Ravindra Jadeja is placed 5th in the rankings with 796 points alongside spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who has finished 6th having accumulated 778 points. &nbsp;

Top 10 Test batsman

Kane Williamson 
Steve Smith 
Cheteshwar Pujara 
Joe Root 
David Warner 
Dimuth Karunaratne 
Dean Elgar 
Azhar Ali 
Henry Nicholls

Top 10 Test bowlers

Kagiso Rabada 
James Anderson 
Vernon Philander 
Mohammad Abbas 
Ravindra Jadeja 
R Ashwin 
Nathan Lyon 
Pat Cummins 
Josh Hazlewood 
Yasir Shah

Virat Kohli has been lately making headlines for his altercation with his Australian counterpart Tim Paine and today he is again in news but this time for his swashbuckling batting.

Virat Kohli has been lately making headlines for his altercation with his Australian counterpart Tim Paine and today he is again in news but this time for his swashbuckling batting. Indian cricket team captain, who scored a brilliant hundred in the 2nd Test, has retained his place as the top-ranked batsman in the ICC Test rankings. The right-handed batsman's 123-run inning on a bounce and pace-rich Perth Stadium has helped Kohli accumulate 14 points and reach a total of 934, three away from his career-best Test rating points. Kohli on Thursday has further extended his lead over New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson from seven to nineteen points. Kane, who became the first Kiwi cricketer to break the 900-point barrier in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, enjoys a tally of 915 points. The 28-year-old also helped his side register their first win in an away series against an Asian side in 49 years, following excellent performances against Pakistan recently. Meanwhile, Indian vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has gained two spots to finish 15th in the rankings while wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has jumped 11 places to a career-best 48th. Amongst the bowlers, South African pacer Kagiso Rabada leads the charts with 882 points with English fast-bowler James Anderson closely trailing him. Indian pacer Mohammad Shami jumped two spots to finish 24th in the rankings while Jasprit Bumrah gained five places to a career-best 28th. Ravindra Jadeja is placed 5th in the rankings with 796 points alongside spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who has finished 6th having accumulated 778 points. Top 10 Test batsman Kane Williamson Steve Smith Cheteshwar Pujara Joe Root David Warner Dimuth Karunaratne Dean Elgar Azhar Ali Henry Nicholls Top 10 Test bowlers Kagiso Rabada James Anderson Vernon Philander Mohammad Abbas Ravindra Jadeja R Ashwin Nathan Lyon Pat Cummins Josh Hazlewood Yasir Shah

Virat Kohli extends dominance as No.1 Test batsman, Bumrah reaches career-best 28th in latest ICC rankings

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-warns-us-president-donald-trump-against-weaponising-space-185332">China warns US President Donald Trump against 'weaponising' space</a>

China said Wednesday&nbsp;it opposed the "weaponisation" of space as it criticised US President Donald Trump's orders&nbsp;to create a new command centre for controlling military space operations.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mitchell-johnson-lashes-out-at-virat-kohli-calls-him-silly-and-disrespectful-185306">Virat Kohli is ‘silly and disrespectful’, says Australia's Mitchell Johnson</a>

'At the end of the match, you should be able to look each other in the eyes, shake hands and say 'great contest',' Mitchell wrote. 'Virat Kohli could not do that... '

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-launches-gsat-7a-satellite-will-aid-army-air-force-communications-185316">Watch: ISRO launches GSAT-7A, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-launches-gsat-7a-satellite-will-aid-army-air-force-communications-185316">satellite</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-launches-gsat-7a-satellite-will-aid-army-air-force-communications-185316"> will aid Indian Air Force communications</a>

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) launches 2,250kg communication satellite GSAT-7A. Its&nbsp;mission life is expected to be about eight years.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-ranks-second-in-list-of-spammed-calls-in-2018-report-185310">India is </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-ranks-second-in-list-of-spammed-calls-in-2018-report-185310">world's</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-ranks-second-in-list-of-spammed-calls-in-2018-report-185310"> second-most spammed country: Truecaller</a>

The report released on Tuesday has listed Brazil in the top position.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-will-bring-down-immigration-but-there-is-no-specific-target-british-home-secretary-185325">Brexit will bring down immigration but there is no 'specific target': British Home Secretary</a>

'It will be a system that will bring net migration down to more sustainable levels,' Sajid Javid told BBC radio, although he said there was 'no specific target' for the reduction.

China warns US President Donald Trump against 'weaponising' space China said Wednesday it opposed the "weaponisation" of space as it criticised US President Donald Trump's orders to create a new command centre for controlling military space operations.

China warns US President Donald Trump against 'weaponising' space China said Wednesday it opposed the "weaponisation" of space as it criticised US President Donald Trump's orders to create a new command centre for controlling military space operations. Virat Kohli is ‘silly and disrespectful’, says Australia's Mitchell Johnson 'At the end of the match, you should be able to look each other in the eyes, shake hands and say 'great contest',' Mitchell wrote. 'Virat Kohli could not do that... ' Watch: ISRO launches GSAT-7A, satellite will aid Indian Air Force communications ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) launches 2,250kg communication satellite GSAT-7A. Its mission life is expected to be about eight years. India is world's second-most spammed country: Truecaller The report released on Tuesday has listed Brazil in the top position. Brexit will bring down immigration but there is no 'specific target': British Home Secretary 'It will be a system that will bring net migration down to more sustainable levels,' Sajid Javid told BBC radio, although he said there was 'no specific target' for the reduction.

Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson slammed India captain Virat Kohli, describing his behaviour as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-is-out-of-control-i-dont-like-his-attitude-says-former-australian-cricketer-mike-hussey-184801">"disrespectful" and "silly"</a> during the second Test in Perth. Kohli and Australia captain Tim Paine were involved in a series of heated exchanges, which at one point prompted umpire Chris Gaffaney to step in to dissolve the tension.

However, once the second Test ended with Australia beating India by 146 runs, both the captains played down the issue, saying no line was crossed. But Johnson was extremely critical of Kohli's behaviour during the Test.

"At the end of the match, you should be able to look each other in the eyes, shake hands and say 'great contest'," he wrote in a column for Fox Sports.

"Virat Kohli could not do that with Tim Paine, shaking the Australian captain's hand but barely making eye contact with him. To me, that is disrespectful.

"Kohli gets away with more than most cricketers simply because he is Virat Kohli and he gets placed on a pedestal but this Test left the Indian captain looking silly," he wrote.

BCCI on Tuesday came out in support of Kohli, rubbishing media reports in Australia which claimed that Kohli had bragged about being the best batsman in the world while ridiculing Paine as a "stand-in captain".

Johnson said that Kohli didn't keep his words after making pre-series claims that he won't initiate any confrontations.

"Kohli has contradicted the things he said at the start of the series. He said he was a changed person - that he was coming in with a different attitude to last time and wasn't going to initiate anything. What we saw this Test says otherwise," he wrote.

"From my experiences with him and what I am seeing as an observer now, not much has changed. It was disappointing and that is not the only area where he let himself down."

Kohli scored a sparkling 123 in the first innings before being dismissed in a controversial fashion following a contentious catch at slip by Peter Handscomb.

Johnson was offended with Kohli for not acknowledging the standing ovation at Perth stadium after his dismissal.

"To me the catch was given out so you accept it and move on and as a player who has scored a hundred you acknowledge the standing ovation," he said.

Johnson and Kohli had a fiery relationship after the 2014 Melbourne Test where the pacer's throw had hit Kohli during his attempt to get the batsman run out.

Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson slammed India captain Virat Kohli, describing his behaviour as "disrespectful" and "silly" during the second Test in Perth.

Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson slammed India captain Virat Kohli, describing his behaviour as "disrespectful" and "silly" during the second Test in Perth. Kohli and Australia captain Tim Paine were involved in a series of heated exchanges, which at one point prompted umpire Chris Gaffaney to step in to dissolve the tension. However, once the second Test ended with Australia beating India by 146 runs, both the captains played down the issue, saying no line was crossed. But Johnson was extremely critical of Kohli's behaviour during the Test. "At the end of the match, you should be able to look each other in the eyes, shake hands and say 'great contest'," he wrote in a column for Fox Sports. "Virat Kohli could not do that with Tim Paine, shaking the Australian captain's hand but barely making eye contact with him. To me, that is disrespectful. "Kohli gets away with more than most cricketers simply because he is Virat Kohli and he gets placed on a pedestal but this Test left the Indian captain looking silly," he wrote. BCCI on Tuesday came out in support of Kohli, rubbishing media reports in Australia which claimed that Kohli had bragged about being the best batsman in the world while ridiculing Paine as a "stand-in captain". Johnson said that Kohli didn't keep his words after making pre-series claims that he won't initiate any confrontations. "Kohli has contradicted the things he said at the start of the series. He said he was a changed person - that he was coming in with a different attitude to last time and wasn't going to initiate anything. What we saw this Test says otherwise," he wrote. "From my experiences with him and what I am seeing as an observer now, not much has changed. It was disappointing and that is not the only area where he let himself down." Kohli scored a sparkling 123 in the first innings before being dismissed in a controversial fashion following a contentious catch at slip by Peter Handscomb. Johnson was offended with Kohli for not acknowledging the standing ovation at Perth stadium after his dismissal. "To me the catch was given out so you accept it and move on and as a player who has scored a hundred you acknowledge the standing ovation," he said. Johnson and Kohli had a fiery relationship after the 2014 Melbourne Test where the pacer's throw had hit Kohli during his attempt to get the batsman run out.

Virat Kohli is ‘silly and disrespectful’, says Australia's Mitchell Johnson

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-auction-uncapped-varun-chakravarthy-bags-rs-84-crore-deal-yuvraj-finds-a-buyer-at-last-185195">India's cash-rich tournament Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) held its auction for the 12th edition on Tuesday, and like always, this time also the cricket tournament left the fans and audience confounded with the amount shelled to buy few uncapped cricketers.

Among many, Prayas Ray Barman scripted history by becoming the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/teenagers-outclass-experienced-players-at-ipl-2019-auction-185181">youngest-ever crorepati</a> at the tender age of 16 in this year's IPL after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/2019-ipl-auction-all-you-need-to-know-about-varun-chakravarthy-and-shivam-dube-185139">Virat Kohli-led Bangalore</a> bought him for Rs 1.5 crore from a base price Rs 20 lakh.

Born on October 23, 2002, Barman made his List A debut for Bengal in September this year in Vijay Hazare Trophy. He bowls leg-beak and is a very handy batsman. He was the leading wicket-taker for his side in the Vijay Hazare with 11 dismissals and nine catches.

Despite having an impressive List A debut against Jammu and Kashmir, bagging 4/20, Barman failed to grab a place in Bengal’s Ranji team.

Hailing from Durgapur, Prayas grew up in New Delhi where his father works as a general physician. But his growth as a cricketer happened at his native place where he joined Durgapur Cricket Centre and caught the attention in the Ambar Roy Sub-Junior Under-14 cricket tournament.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
11 wickets at a meager economy rate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the young 16 year old will learn a lot from <a href="https://twitter.com/yuzi_chahal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@yuzi_chahal</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/12thMan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#12thMan</a>, welcome Prayas Ray Barman to Bengaluru!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBold</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BidForBold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BidForBold</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/TBoiNMmT35">pic.twitter.com/TBoiNMmT35</a>
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Picked for Bengal U-16, he shifted his base to Kolkata where he lives in a flat with his grandparents.&nbsp;

Barman will be joining Virat Kohli and company at the Bangalore camp and it will be a huge opportunity for the young player, whose name was unknown to many across the nation before yesterday.&nbsp;

India's cash-rich tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) held its auction for the 12th edition on Tuesday, and like always, this time also the cricket tournament left the fans and audience confounded with the amount shelled to buy few uncapped cricketers.

India's cash-rich tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) held its auction for the 12th edition on Tuesday, and like always, this time also the cricket tournament left the fans and audience confounded with the amount shelled to buy few uncapped cricketers. Among many, Prayas Ray Barman scripted history by becoming the youngest-ever crorepati at the tender age of 16 in this year's IPL after Virat Kohli-led Bangalore bought him for Rs 1.5 crore from a base price Rs 20 lakh. Born on October 23, 2002, Barman made his List A debut for Bengal in September this year in Vijay Hazare Trophy. He bowls leg-beak and is a very handy batsman. He was the leading wicket-taker for his side in the Vijay Hazare with 11 dismissals and nine catches. Despite having an impressive List A debut against Jammu and Kashmir, bagging 4/20, Barman failed to grab a place in Bengal’s Ranji team. Hailing from Durgapur, Prayas grew up in New Delhi where his father works as a general physician. But his growth as a cricketer happened at his native place where he joined Durgapur Cricket Centre and caught the attention in the Ambar Roy Sub-Junior Under-14 cricket tournament. 11 wickets at a meager economy rate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the young 16 year old will learn a lot from @yuzi_chahal!#12thMan, welcome Prayas Ray Barman to Bengaluru!#PlayBold #BidForBold #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/TBoiNMmT35 — Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) December 18, 2018 × Picked for Bengal U-16, he shifted his base to Kolkata where he lives in a flat with his grandparents. Barman will be joining Virat Kohli and company at the Bangalore camp and it will be a huge opportunity for the young player, whose name was unknown to many across the nation before yesterday.

IPL 2019 auction: Bought for Rs 1.5 cr, Bangalore's Prayas Ray Barman is youngest crorepati at 16

Captain Virat Kohli has thrown his weight behind India's struggling openers but the tourists' defeat in Perth showed they have yet to find a solution to their top order woes.

Lokesh Rahul and Murali Vijay have managed only one double-digit stand midway through the four-test series in Australia, hardly the starts that would help bring India a first test series win Down Under.

Their struggles have intensified pressure on the middle order of a team with a lengthy tail, and number three Cheteshwar Pujara has had to walk out to bat inside four overs on three of the four occasions.

Opening stands made telling difference in Perth, where Australia prevailed by 146 runs to square the four-test series.

The 112-run first innings stand between Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch laid the platform for Australia's 300-plus total in a low-scoring contest and they raised 59 in the second to help set India a target which the tourists could not achieve.

Rahul, who has managed 48 in four innings, has looked like a sitting duck, with batting great Sunil Gavaskar demanding the 26-year-old be sent home to work on his game.

"I think he should come back and play Ranji Trophy for Karnataka," the former India captain told Aaj Tak channel.

"It is not just that he is out of form, he is just not there and you can see that."

Rahul has not managed a fifty in his last seven test outings and equally worrying has been the manner of his dismissals, with the right hander either bowled or trapped LBW in 11 of his last 14 innings.

India batting coach Sanjay Bangar lamented last month that the opener was "finding new ways to get out" and many believe Rahul needs to work out the flaws with his technique.

Opening partner Vijay has not covered himself in glory either on his return to the squad after he and fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan were dropped following modest returns in England.

Vijay has managed 49 runs from four innings but may still continue as opener purely because India have lost the exciting Prithvi Shaw to an ankle injury for the entire series.

"I'm sure those guys have figured out what's gone wrong in this game especially and they're very keen to correct it themselves," Kohli said in Perth of his misfiring openers.

The tourists have flown in Mayank Agarwal as replacement, rewarding the uncapped opener for his consistency in domestic cricket.

The series shifts to the traditional Boxing Day test in Melbourne followed by the finale in Sydney.

Captain Virat Kohli has thrown his weight behind India's struggling openers but the tourists' defeat in Perth showed they have yet to find a solution to their top order woes.

Captain Virat Kohli has thrown his weight behind India's struggling openers but the tourists' defeat in Perth showed they have yet to find a solution to their top order woes. Lokesh Rahul and Murali Vijay have managed only one double-digit stand midway through the four-test series in Australia, hardly the starts that would help bring India a first test series win Down Under. Their struggles have intensified pressure on the middle order of a team with a lengthy tail, and number three Cheteshwar Pujara has had to walk out to bat inside four overs on three of the four occasions. Opening stands made telling difference in Perth, where Australia prevailed by 146 runs to square the four-test series. The 112-run first innings stand between Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch laid the platform for Australia's 300-plus total in a low-scoring contest and they raised 59 in the second to help set India a target which the tourists could not achieve. Rahul, who has managed 48 in four innings, has looked like a sitting duck, with batting great Sunil Gavaskar demanding the 26-year-old be sent home to work on his game. "I think he should come back and play Ranji Trophy for Karnataka," the former India captain told Aaj Tak channel. "It is not just that he is out of form, he is just not there and you can see that." Rahul has not managed a fifty in his last seven test outings and equally worrying has been the manner of his dismissals, with the right hander either bowled or trapped LBW in 11 of his last 14 innings. India batting coach Sanjay Bangar lamented last month that the opener was "finding new ways to get out" and many believe Rahul needs to work out the flaws with his technique. Opening partner Vijay has not covered himself in glory either on his return to the squad after he and fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan were dropped following modest returns in England. Vijay has managed 49 runs from four innings but may still continue as opener purely because India have lost the exciting Prithvi Shaw to an ankle injury for the entire series. "I'm sure those guys have figured out what's gone wrong in this game especially and they're very keen to correct it themselves," Kohli said in Perth of his misfiring openers. The tourists have flown in Mayank Agarwal as replacement, rewarding the uncapped opener for his consistency in domestic cricket. The series shifts to the traditional Boxing Day test in Melbourne followed by the finale in Sydney.

IND vs AUS: Opening woes continue to blight India Down Under

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) Tuesday rubbished media reports in Australia which claimed that captain Virat Kohli bragged about being the best batsman in the world while ridiculing Tim Paine during the second Test in Perth.&nbsp;

The two captains were consistently involved in banter during the match but both insisted that no line was crossed. Reports in Australia claimed that the world's No.1 Test and ODI batsman boasted about being the best in the business during the showdowns.

The BCCI came out in support of Kohli, saying the statement attributed to Kohli was just hearsay and he never bragged about himself.&nbsp;

"It is 'assumed' that Kohli said, 'I am the best player in the world and you are just a stand-in captain'. These claims were based on hearsay and the BCCI would like to bring into notice that no such words were spoken on the field by the Indian captain," BCCI said in a statement.

"The BCCI got a clarification from the team management about the incident and would like to classify the reports as baseless."

With the banter reported by the media on the last two days of the match, Kohli faced questions on the issue but he said no one crossed the line.

"As long as there is no swearing on the field, and there's no personal attacks, the line doesn't get crossed. That's it!. But look, in the competitive spirit, it stays on the field. I am not going to go into details but to be honest it's not of importance for me to speak on and it's something that's done," Kohli said after India lost the Test by 146 runs.

Paine also insisted that things never went out of hand.

"It was a highly competitive Test match from both teams. There's a lot on the line and both teams desperately want to win and sometimes that stuff happens" Paine said during the post-match press conference.

"It was just two competitive cricketers trying to do their best to win the game," Paine said.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) Tuesday rubbished media reports in Australia which claimed that captain Virat Kohli bragged about being the best batsman in the world while ridiculing Tim Paine during the second Test in Perth.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) Tuesday rubbished media reports in Australia which claimed that captain Virat Kohli bragged about being the best batsman in the world while ridiculing Tim Paine during the second Test in Perth. The two captains were consistently involved in banter during the match but both insisted that no line was crossed. Reports in Australia claimed that the world's No.1 Test and ODI batsman boasted about being the best in the business during the showdowns. The BCCI came out in support of Kohli, saying the statement attributed to Kohli was just hearsay and he never bragged about himself. "It is 'assumed' that Kohli said, 'I am the best player in the world and you are just a stand-in captain'. These claims were based on hearsay and the BCCI would like to bring into notice that no such words were spoken on the field by the Indian captain," BCCI said in a statement. "The BCCI got a clarification from the team management about the incident and would like to classify the reports as baseless." With the banter reported by the media on the last two days of the match, Kohli faced questions on the issue but he said no one crossed the line. "As long as there is no swearing on the field, and there's no personal attacks, the line doesn't get crossed. That's it!. But look, in the competitive spirit, it stays on the field. I am not going to go into details but to be honest it's not of importance for me to speak on and it's something that's done," Kohli said after India lost the Test by 146 runs. Paine also insisted that things never went out of hand. "It was a highly competitive Test match from both teams. There's a lot on the line and both teams desperately want to win and sometimes that stuff happens" Paine said during the post-match press conference. "It was just two competitive cricketers trying to do their best to win the game," Paine said.

BCCI says Virat Kohli never said 'he’s the best player in the world'

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/virat-reminds-me-a-lot-of-imran-khan-says-ravi-shastri-34771">utility of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri</a> as captain and coach must be assessed if India fail to win the next two Tests against Australia, suggested batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, who is baffled by the "selection blunders" committed by the team management.

India lost the Perth Test by 146 runs to allow the hosts level the four-match series 1-1. India went in with four specialist pacers while Australia picked spinner Nathan Lyon, who eventually tuned out to be the difference between the two sides.

Gavaskar was not impressed with the selection choices made by the team management.

"We have been seeing this - the selection blunders that have been committed since the tour of South Africa. It has cost the team because it has lost matches which could've been won if the proper selection had been made," Gavaskar said.&nbsp;

"They have to look at the combination of their team, look at the hole that needs to be plugged and pick the men to. If they do that then they can certainly win the next two matches but if they don't, and that too against this Australian team which does not have Steve Smith or David Warner, then the selectors need to think whether we are getting any benefit from this lot - the captain, coach and support staff,&nbsp;Gavaskar said. &nbsp;

The former opener questioned the logic for picking a jumbo squad.&nbsp;

"I want to find out that who has authorised 19 players to go because the next question is why not three more? The BCCI is a very rich body, it can afford to send even 40 people down there. However, I feel that an India cap, an Indian blazer has to be made a lot more valuable. ... By carrying players and taking 19 players, I do believe that the selection committee has not handled their responsibility well," he said.&nbsp;

"A lot of those players can come back and play domestic cricket which will not only embellish our domestic cricket, lift the standard of our domestic cricket but also give these guys, unlikely to be picked in the Test matches, an opportunity to regain form and make a case for getting back in the team," he added.&nbsp;

The first one on the flight back home from Perth should be India opener KL Rahul according to Gavaskar.

"He (Rahul) has no chance of playing in the remaining two Tests unless of course there is an injury to any player. I think that he should be coming back and playing Ranji Trophy for Karnataka. It is not just that he is out of form, he is just not there and you can see that. He can prove me wrong and I will be very happy to be proven wrong as long as the Indian team benefits."

The utility of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri as captain and coach must be assessed if India fail to win the next two Tests against Australia, suggested batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, who is baffled by the "selection blunders" committed by the team management.

The utility of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri as captain and coach must be assessed if India fail to win the next two Tests against Australia, suggested batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, who is baffled by the "selection blunders" committed by the team management. India lost the Perth Test by 146 runs to allow the hosts level the four-match series 1-1. India went in with four specialist pacers while Australia picked spinner Nathan Lyon, who eventually tuned out to be the difference between the two sides. Gavaskar was not impressed with the selection choices made by the team management. "We have been seeing this - the selection blunders that have been committed since the tour of South Africa. It has cost the team because it has lost matches which could've been won if the proper selection had been made," Gavaskar said. "They have to look at the combination of their team, look at the hole that needs to be plugged and pick the men to. If they do that then they can certainly win the next two matches but if they don't, and that too against this Australian team which does not have Steve Smith or David Warner, then the selectors need to think whether we are getting any benefit from this lot - the captain, coach and support staff, Gavaskar said. The former opener questioned the logic for picking a jumbo squad. "I want to find out that who has authorised 19 players to go because the next question is why not three more? The BCCI is a very rich body, it can afford to send even 40 people down there. However, I feel that an India cap, an Indian blazer has to be made a lot more valuable. ... By carrying players and taking 19 players, I do believe that the selection committee has not handled their responsibility well," he said. "A lot of those players can come back and play domestic cricket which will not only embellish our domestic cricket, lift the standard of our domestic cricket but also give these guys, unlikely to be picked in the Test matches, an opportunity to regain form and make a case for getting back in the team," he added. The first one on the flight back home from Perth should be India opener KL Rahul according to Gavaskar. "He (Rahul) has no chance of playing in the remaining two Tests unless of course there is an injury to any player. I think that he should be coming back and playing Ranji Trophy for Karnataka. It is not just that he is out of form, he is just not there and you can see that. He can prove me wrong and I will be very happy to be proven wrong as long as the Indian team benefits."

Kohli, Shastri's utility must be assessed if India do not win remaining Tests: Gavaskar

Australia beat India by 146 runs in the morning session of the fifth and final day of the second Test on Tuesday to level up the four-match series at 1-1.

The tourists, chasing 287 runs for victory, were dismissed for 140 at the new Perth Stadium when Jasprit Bumrah was caught and bowled by quick Pat Cummins as the last wicket of the innings.

Left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc finished with 3-46, while spinner Nathan Lyon took 3-39 on a feisty pitch. For India, Ajinkya Rahane made 30 with the bat and Rishabh Pant also 30.

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🙌 AUSTRALIA WIN 🙌 
 
The hosts register a convincing 146-run win by bowling India out for 140 early in the morning session on Day 5.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> SCORECARD ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/viG01B7TWC">https://t.co/viG01B7TWC</a> <a href="https://t.co/siotOPs9LR">pic.twitter.com/siotOPs9LR</a>
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In the post-match&nbsp;presentation, Virat Kohli said, "Australia played better cricket than us and they deserved to win."

Cricket pundits questioned&nbsp;Virat's decision&nbsp;to play with four seamers and not picking a single spinner in the playing squad for Perth Test.

India skipper Kohli said, "When we looked at the pitch, we didn't think about the Jadeja option. We thought four quicks would be enough."

He justified saying, "We never thought about the spin option, to be honest."

Kohli praised spinner Lyon, who won player of the match, for his brilliant performance. Kohli said, "Nathan Lyon bowled really well."

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With match-winning figures of 8/106 in the Perth Test, Nathan Lyon is named the Player of the Match. 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/agHLjqKga5">pic.twitter.com/agHLjqKga5</a>
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It was a first win in eight Test matches for Australia. India, who won the opener at Adelaide Oval by 31 runs, have never won a Test series in Australia.

The series continues with the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground starting on December 26 before concluding with the fourth Test in Sydney in the New Year.

Australia beat India by 146 runs in the morning session of the fifth and final day of the second Test on Tuesday to level up the four-match series at 1-1. The tourists, chasing 287 runs for victory, were dismissed for 140 at the new Perth Stadium when Jasprit Bumrah was caught and bowled by quick Pat Cummins as the last wicket of the innings.

Australia beat India by 146 runs in the morning session of the fifth and final day of the second Test on Tuesday to level up the four-match series at 1-1. The tourists, chasing 287 runs for victory, were dismissed for 140 at the new Perth Stadium when Jasprit Bumrah was caught and bowled by quick Pat Cummins as the last wicket of the innings. Left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc finished with 3-46, while spinner Nathan Lyon took 3-39 on a feisty pitch. For India, Ajinkya Rahane made 30 with the bat and Rishabh Pant also 30. 🙌 AUSTRALIA WIN 🙌 The hosts register a convincing 146-run win by bowling India out for 140 early in the morning session on Day 5.#AUSvIND SCORECARD ⬇️ https://t.co/viG01B7TWC pic.twitter.com/siotOPs9LR — ICC (@ICC) December 18, 2018 × In the post-match presentation, Virat Kohli said, "Australia played better cricket than us and they deserved to win." Cricket pundits questioned Virat's decision to play with four seamers and not picking a single spinner in the playing squad for Perth Test. India skipper Kohli said, "When we looked at the pitch, we didn't think about the Jadeja option. We thought four quicks would be enough." He justified saying, "We never thought about the spin option, to be honest." Kohli praised spinner Lyon, who won player of the match, for his brilliant performance. Kohli said, "Nathan Lyon bowled really well." With match-winning figures of 8/106 in the Perth Test, Nathan Lyon is named the Player of the Match. 👏#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/agHLjqKga5 — ICC (@ICC) December 18, 2018 × It was a first win in eight Test matches for Australia. India, who won the opener at Adelaide Oval by 31 runs, have never won a Test series in Australia. The series continues with the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground starting on December 26 before concluding with the fourth Test in Sydney in the New Year.

Australia thrash India to win Perth Test by 146 runs, level series 1-1

Australia captain Tim Paine was a relieved man as Australia registered a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-australia-thrash-india-to-win-perth-test-by-146-runs-184935">146-run victory over India</a> in the second Test match of a four-match series in Perth.

It is Australia's first&nbsp;win since the ball-tampering&nbsp;scandal, which included former captain Steve Smith, David Warner&nbsp;and&nbsp;Cameron Bancroft.

The Paine-led team marked a&nbsp;drought-breaking success,&nbsp;their&nbsp;first in seven Tests spanning almost 10 months.

It was Paine's first Test win in five matches since taking over from the suspended Steve Smith in South Africa, and also the first victory for new coach Justin Langer, coming in his hometown.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-we-thought-four-quicks-would-be-enough-says-virat-kohli-after-losing-perth-test-184960">'We thought four quicks would be enough,' says Virat Kohli after losing Perth Test</a>

In the post-match presentation, Paine said, "It's a big relief because the first Test win has taken a while."

India, chasing&nbsp;287 to win, the visitors resumed at 115 for five on the final day but lost their remaining wickets for just 21 runs in the morning session.

India&nbsp;were&nbsp;dismissed for 140, with spinner Nathan Lyon claiming 3-39 to finish with eight wickets for the match.&nbsp;

Paine, who was involved in a verbal spat with Indian counterpart Virat Kohli on the third and fourth days, said the overwhelming emotion was relief at finally being able to put a dark period in Australian cricket behind them.

Paine hailed his team for their performance, "We won the toss and decided to bat. We had our fingers crossed and hoped we play pretty well."

"It's been hard work - the first two Tests of this series have been really tough."

"We've got some inexperienced players in terms of Test matches played, to get a win like that against the best Test team in the world is going to give them a huge boost of confidence."

He especially mentioned the openers, "Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch getting us to none for 100 was brilliant batting and probably the difference between the two sides."

Paine also praised Nathan Lyon's performance, "It's great to have Lyon in our team. Every team would want to have him in their team. You can throw him the ball in any condition, at any end, any time against any team and he loves bowling to the best players in the world."

"It's a huge honour to captain the Australian side."

"Now to do it at the MCG for the Boxing Day Test is a special feeling. We all can't wait to get to Melbourne," concluded.

Australia captain Tim Paine was a relieved man as Australia registered a 146-run victory over India in the second Test match of a four-match series in Perth. It is Australia's first win since the ball-tampering scandal, which included former captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

Australia captain Tim Paine was a relieved man as Australia registered a 146-run victory over India in the second Test match of a four-match series in Perth. It is Australia's first win since the ball-tampering scandal, which included former captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. The Paine-led team marked a drought-breaking success, their first in seven Tests spanning almost 10 months. It was Paine's first Test win in five matches since taking over from the suspended Steve Smith in South Africa, and also the first victory for new coach Justin Langer, coming in his hometown. Also Read: 'We thought four quicks would be enough,' says Virat Kohli after losing Perth Test In the post-match presentation, Paine said, "It's a big relief because the first Test win has taken a while." India, chasing 287 to win, the visitors resumed at 115 for five on the final day but lost their remaining wickets for just 21 runs in the morning session. India were dismissed for 140, with spinner Nathan Lyon claiming 3-39 to finish with eight wickets for the match. Paine, who was involved in a verbal spat with Indian counterpart Virat Kohli on the third and fourth days, said the overwhelming emotion was relief at finally being able to put a dark period in Australian cricket behind them. Paine hailed his team for their performance, "We won the toss and decided to bat. We had our fingers crossed and hoped we play pretty well." "It's been hard work - the first two Tests of this series have been really tough." "We've got some inexperienced players in terms of Test matches played, to get a win like that against the best Test team in the world is going to give them a huge boost of confidence." He especially mentioned the openers, "Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch getting us to none for 100 was brilliant batting and probably the difference between the two sides." Paine also praised Nathan Lyon's performance, "It's great to have Lyon in our team. Every team would want to have him in their team. You can throw him the ball in any condition, at any end, any time against any team and he loves bowling to the best players in the world." "It's a huge honour to captain the Australian side." "Now to do it at the MCG for the Boxing Day Test is a special feeling. We all can't wait to get to Melbourne," concluded.

'It's a big relief,' says Tim Paine as Australia win for first time since ball-tampering scandal

Warring captains Virat Kohli and Tim Paine on Monday resumed their verbal duel, forcing on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney to warn both the players on the fourth morning of the second Test between India and Australia.&nbsp;

During the 71st over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, the respective captains were seen exchanging words after Kohli decided to field close to the non-striker and Gaffaney had to step in.

"You're the one that lost it yesterday. Why are you trying to be cool today" Paine told Kohli.

"That's enough, that's enough," Gaffaney interrupted.

"Come on, play the game. You guys are the captains. Tim, you're the captain."&nbsp;

Paine replied: "We're just having a conversation. There's no swearing ... Keep your cool Virat."

Also Watch: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-stump-mic-reveals-on-pitch-chats-between-virat-kohli-and-tim-paine-in-perth-test-184628">Stump mic reveals ugly on-pitch chats between Kohli and Paine in Perth Test</a>

Kohli said something which couldn't be picked up by the microphones.

A couple of balls later, the warring duo almost came close to chest bumping when the India skipper walked in front of Paine while he was completing a run.

Kohli later appeared to plead his case to square-leg umpire Kumar Dharmasena as Paine and Usman Khawaja continued to extend Australia's second-innings lead.

"I reckon it's a sign Kohli is starting to lose it," former Test bowler Damien Fleming said on SEN radio.

India commentator Sanjay Manjrekar wasn't too pleased with Kohli's behaviour but former Australian skippers Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke said they had no issue with the verbal exchange between the two captains and that no line has been crossed so far.

Warring captains Virat Kohli and Tim Paine on Monday resumed their verbal duel, forcing on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney to warn both the players on the fourth morning of the second Test between India and Australia.

Warring captains Virat Kohli and Tim Paine on Monday resumed their verbal duel, forcing on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney to warn both the players on the fourth morning of the second Test between India and Australia. During the 71st over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, the respective captains were seen exchanging words after Kohli decided to field close to the non-striker and Gaffaney had to step in. "You're the one that lost it yesterday. Why are you trying to be cool today" Paine told Kohli. "That's enough, that's enough," Gaffaney interrupted. "Come on, play the game. You guys are the captains. Tim, you're the captain." Paine replied: "We're just having a conversation. There's no swearing ... Keep your cool Virat." Also Watch: Stump mic reveals ugly on-pitch chats between Kohli and Paine in Perth Test Kohli said something which couldn't be picked up by the microphones. A couple of balls later, the warring duo almost came close to chest bumping when the India skipper walked in front of Paine while he was completing a run. Kohli later appeared to plead his case to square-leg umpire Kumar Dharmasena as Paine and Usman Khawaja continued to extend Australia's second-innings lead. "I reckon it's a sign Kohli is starting to lose it," former Test bowler Damien Fleming said on SEN radio. India commentator Sanjay Manjrekar wasn't too pleased with Kohli's behaviour but former Australian skippers Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke said they had no issue with the verbal exchange between the two captains and that no line has been crossed so far.

India vs Australia: Umpire issues warning to Kohli, Paine as their on-pitch chat continued on Day 4

Former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey has said that Indian skipper <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=virat+kohli">Virat Kohli</a> is out of control and that he does not like his attitude.

"Kohli is out of control... I don't like his attitude at the moment," Hussey was quoted as saying by Macquarie Sports Radio.

Virat's behaviour has been questioned of late&nbsp;after he was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-stump-mic-reveals-on-pitch-chats-between-virat-kohli-and-tim-paine-in-perth-test-184628">heard exchanging words</a> with Australian skipper Tim Paine on day&nbsp;three of the Perth Test. The stump mic revealed an ugly war of words between the two captains.

The match got spiced up on the third day when Virat Kohli completed his 25th Test hundred got India to 283 runs but caught at second slip after a controversial catch by Peter Handscomb.

Virat looked unhappy with the decision and tensions flared-up when Australia started batting in their second innings.

Kohli was his usual animated self but his on-field antics did not go down well with former Australian players Mike Hussey and Allan Border.

"Kohli is out of control ... I don't like his attitude at the moment," Hussey was quoted as saying by Macquarie Sports Radio, while former captain&nbsp;

Border told Fox Cricket: "I don't think I've ever seen any captain carry on like that."

Virat Kohli and Tim Paine on Monday resumed their verbal duel, forcing on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney to warn both the players on the fourth morning of the second Test between India and Australia.&nbsp;

During the 71st over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, the respective captains were seen exchanging words after Kohli decided to field close to the non-striker and Gaffaney had to step in.

Indian commentator Sanjay Manjrekar wasn't too pleased with Kohli's behaviour but former Australian skippers Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke said they had no issue with the verbal exchange between the two captains and that no line has been crossed so far.&nbsp;

Former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey has said that Indian skipper Virat Kohli is out of control and that he does not like his attitude. "Kohli is out of control.

Former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey has said that Indian skipper Virat Kohli is out of control and that he does not like his attitude. "Kohli is out of control... I don't like his attitude at the moment," Hussey was quoted as saying by Macquarie Sports Radio. Virat's behaviour has been questioned of late after he was heard exchanging words with Australian skipper Tim Paine on day three of the Perth Test. The stump mic revealed an ugly war of words between the two captains. The match got spiced up on the third day when Virat Kohli completed his 25th Test hundred got India to 283 runs but caught at second slip after a controversial catch by Peter Handscomb. Virat looked unhappy with the decision and tensions flared-up when Australia started batting in their second innings. Kohli was his usual animated self but his on-field antics did not go down well with former Australian players Mike Hussey and Allan Border. "Kohli is out of control ... I don't like his attitude at the moment," Hussey was quoted as saying by Macquarie Sports Radio, while former captain Border told Fox Cricket: "I don't think I've ever seen any captain carry on like that." Virat Kohli and Tim Paine on Monday resumed their verbal duel, forcing on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney to warn both the players on the fourth morning of the second Test between India and Australia. During the 71st over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, the respective captains were seen exchanging words after Kohli decided to field close to the non-striker and Gaffaney had to step in. Indian commentator Sanjay Manjrekar wasn't too pleased with Kohli's behaviour but former Australian skippers Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke said they had no issue with the verbal exchange between the two captains and that no line has been crossed so far.

'Kohli is out of control... I don't like his attitude,' says former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey

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Sachin Tendulkar has the best batting record in the world, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-stump-mic-reveals-on-pitch-chats-between-virat-kohli-and-tim-paine-in-perth-test-184628">the Mumbai maestro is no doubt</a> a legend. However, history shows the best batsman in the team almost always makes the worst captain.

Tendulkar's record as captain in 1997 was generally regarded as a blot on his career. The Mumbai legend won just 4 Tests and lost 9 during his captaincy, a dismal 16 per cent win-loss record. In ODIs, Sachin was no better winning just 31 per cent of the matches for India.

India at the time was in transition between the near-end of the Azhar era(which dragged on till the 1999 World Cup because there were no captaincy claimants) and the yet-to-begin Saurav, Dravid era.

Sachin at the time did not look the part and after Saurav came into the scene quickly faded as a possible captaincy candidate.

India is witnessing somewhat the same era like the 1990s, Virat Kohli is India's best batsman, he is no doubt ahead of Sachin on current form and statistics prove it, however, his captaincy skills are still debatable.

The decision to go in with four fast bowlers at the WACA when the highest wicket-taker in the first innings at Perth was Nathan Lyon, ignoring Jadeja even as it was common knowledge that rough areas would develop on the pitch, clearly the innovation of Saurav and Dhoni are missing in the current captain.

No one should blame Kohli, after all, he leads from the front and has been India's principal run-getter, in fact, statistics show his run-gathering ability has improved since he became captain of Team India.

However, critics and cricket commentators have a problem with his decision-making skills. The tactical awareness and ability to make quick "instinctive" changes have been missing in Kohli.

Kohli has been unable to solve India's "opening riddle", the team's permanent Achilles heel.

Murli Vijay has consistently let the team down away from home and KL Rahul has proved he does not have "Test ability" at the highest level. Kohli should look at the facts and move on.

Remember how Sourav upgraded Sehwag from No-6 in ODIs straight into the opening slot in Tests which at the time was considered a masterstroke.

Kohli is yet to come up with a selection masterstroke - the hallmark of a great captain.

Cricket matches, like life, are dependent on seizing the initiative, Kohli the batsman is a master at it, however, he still hasn't captured the imagination in as far as his captaincy is concerned.

Mike Brealey recently said although Kohli was brilliant as a captain but seemed "detached" and "uninvolved" during the Oval Test in the recently concluded India-England series when Team India was under the gun. It is a dangerous precedent, especially for India which has one of the worst records in world cricket while playing abroad.

Cricket is also the art of theatre, sometimes it is a platform to "out-sledge" an opponent or team, and for a captain "charisma" counts but India can ill-afford its best batsman to be concentrating on small qualities and not look at the big picture.

Remember, World Cup final is less than six months away and the world will remember Kohli not as a batsman if India fails but as a captain. A real petty!

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Charisma seems to me a limited asset to a captain... (C)harisma does not imply steadiness, patience, concentration, or considerateness, all invaluable in a captain: Mike Brealey on the "Art of Captaincy" × Sachin Tendulkar has the best batting record in the world, the Mumbai maestro is no doubt a legend.

Charisma seems to me a limited asset to a captain... (C)harisma does not imply steadiness, patience, concentration, or considerateness, all invaluable in a captain: Mike Brealey on the "Art of Captaincy" × Sachin Tendulkar has the best batting record in the world, the Mumbai maestro is no doubt a legend. However, history shows the best batsman in the team almost always makes the worst captain. Tendulkar's record as captain in 1997 was generally regarded as a blot on his career. The Mumbai legend won just 4 Tests and lost 9 during his captaincy, a dismal 16 per cent win-loss record. In ODIs, Sachin was no better winning just 31 per cent of the matches for India. India at the time was in transition between the near-end of the Azhar era(which dragged on till the 1999 World Cup because there were no captaincy claimants) and the yet-to-begin Saurav, Dravid era. Sachin at the time did not look the part and after Saurav came into the scene quickly faded as a possible captaincy candidate. India is witnessing somewhat the same era like the 1990s, Virat Kohli is India's best batsman, he is no doubt ahead of Sachin on current form and statistics prove it, however, his captaincy skills are still debatable. The decision to go in with four fast bowlers at the WACA when the highest wicket-taker in the first innings at Perth was Nathan Lyon, ignoring Jadeja even as it was common knowledge that rough areas would develop on the pitch, clearly the innovation of Saurav and Dhoni are missing in the current captain. No one should blame Kohli, after all, he leads from the front and has been India's principal run-getter, in fact, statistics show his run-gathering ability has improved since he became captain of Team India. However, critics and cricket commentators have a problem with his decision-making skills. The tactical awareness and ability to make quick "instinctive" changes have been missing in Kohli. Kohli has been unable to solve India's "opening riddle", the team's permanent Achilles heel. Murli Vijay has consistently let the team down away from home and KL Rahul has proved he does not have "Test ability" at the highest level. Kohli should look at the facts and move on. Remember how Sourav upgraded Sehwag from No-6 in ODIs straight into the opening slot in Tests which at the time was considered a masterstroke. Kohli is yet to come up with a selection masterstroke - the hallmark of a great captain. Cricket matches, like life, are dependent on seizing the initiative, Kohli the batsman is a master at it, however, he still hasn't captured the imagination in as far as his captaincy is concerned. Mike Brealey recently said although Kohli was brilliant as a captain but seemed "detached" and "uninvolved" during the Oval Test in the recently concluded India-England series when Team India was under the gun. It is a dangerous precedent, especially for India which has one of the worst records in world cricket while playing abroad. Cricket is also the art of theatre, sometimes it is a platform to "out-sledge" an opponent or team, and for a captain "charisma" counts but India can ill-afford its best batsman to be concentrating on small qualities and not look at the big picture. Remember, World Cup final is less than six months away and the world will remember Kohli not as a batsman if India fails but as a captain. A real petty! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How 'Sachin syndrome' traumatises captain Virat Kohli

The stump&nbsp;mic has revealed the ugly war of words between Indian captain Virat Kohli and Australian skipper Tim Paine on the third day of Perth Test on Sunday.

The match got spiced up on the third day when Virat Kohli completed his&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-virat-kohli-slams-25th-test-century-in-perth-test-184408">25th Test</a> hundred got India to 283 runs but&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-out-or-not-out-debate-over-virat-kohlis-wicket-is-on-184445">caught at second slip</a>&nbsp;after a controversial catch by Peter Handscomb.

Virat looked unhappy with the decision and tensions flared-up when Australia started batting in their second innings.

Both the captains,&nbsp;Virat Kohli and Tim Paine, kept exchanging words, which carried on until stumps.

The hosts finished 175 runs ahead on day three.

Virat was heard yelling at Paine,&nbsp;"If he messes it up, it's 2-0."

The chats were picked up by the microphone after he and his teammates made a loud caught-behind appeal for Paine in the final over of the day.&nbsp;

The Australian captain did not hold himself back and replied: "You've got to bat first, **** head".&nbsp;

Watch the video:

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
KOHLI : If u mess it up it's 2-0 
 
PAINE : You Got to Bat First D***Head 
 
Verbals from Skippers😂😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvsIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvsIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/Bjtx6VTT2B">pic.twitter.com/Bjtx6VTT2B</a>
— karthick shivaraman (@ISkarthi) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISkarthi/status/1074292853742829569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The hosts star-spinner Nathan Lyon, however, played down the incident.

"I think Tim just asked him where he was going for dinner that's all. I've played enough cricket against Virat to know what he's like, and I'm not worried about what he's doing or what India's doing," said Lyon.&nbsp;

"Virat is a great player, he plays on emotion, we all know that, and to be honest I'm not too concerned how Virat reacts or the way he conducts himself. I'm just worried about what we can control in the Australian dressing room and I thought as bowlers we came out today and performed pretty well," he said.&nbsp;

Lyon said: "The wicket seems like it's starting to play a few more little tricks. We were expecting the cracks to play a little bit more, but with that rain yesterday it probably softened our ball up quite a fair bit. I know as bowlers the ball in cricket terms felt like it had no air left in it, so it lost a little bit of zip off the wicket.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"But we were pretty happy with the way we bowled and we know that come the second dig we can bowl much better than that. So we can take a few lessons off that first innings," he added.&nbsp;

The stump mic has revealed the ugly war of words between Indian captain Virat Kohli and Australian skipper Tim Paine on the third day of Perth Test on Sunday. The match got spiced up on the third day when Virat Kohli completed his 25th Test hundred got India to 283 runs but caught at second slip after a controversial catch by Peter Handscomb.

The stump mic has revealed the ugly war of words between Indian captain Virat Kohli and Australian skipper Tim Paine on the third day of Perth Test on Sunday. The match got spiced up on the third day when Virat Kohli completed his 25th Test hundred got India to 283 runs but caught at second slip after a controversial catch by Peter Handscomb. Virat looked unhappy with the decision and tensions flared-up when Australia started batting in their second innings. Both the captains, Virat Kohli and Tim Paine, kept exchanging words, which carried on until stumps. The hosts finished 175 runs ahead on day three. Virat was heard yelling at Paine, "If he messes it up, it's 2-0." The chats were picked up by the microphone after he and his teammates made a loud caught-behind appeal for Paine in the final over of the day. The Australian captain did not hold himself back and replied: "You've got to bat first, **** head". Watch the video: KOHLI : If u mess it up it's 2-0 PAINE : You Got to Bat First D***Head Verbals from Skippers😂😂#AUSvIND #AUSvsIND pic.twitter.com/Bjtx6VTT2B — karthick shivaraman (@ISkarthi) December 16, 2018 × The hosts star-spinner Nathan Lyon, however, played down the incident. "I think Tim just asked him where he was going for dinner that's all. I've played enough cricket against Virat to know what he's like, and I'm not worried about what he's doing or what India's doing," said Lyon. "Virat is a great player, he plays on emotion, we all know that, and to be honest I'm not too concerned how Virat reacts or the way he conducts himself. I'm just worried about what we can control in the Australian dressing room and I thought as bowlers we came out today and performed pretty well," he said. Lyon said: "The wicket seems like it's starting to play a few more little tricks. We were expecting the cracks to play a little bit more, but with that rain yesterday it probably softened our ball up quite a fair bit. I know as bowlers the ball in cricket terms felt like it had no air left in it, so it lost a little bit of zip off the wicket. "But we were pretty happy with the way we bowled and we know that come the second dig we can bowl much better than that. So we can take a few lessons off that first innings," he added.

Watch: Stump mic reveals ugly on-pitch chats between Kohli and Paine in Perth Test

After former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey criticised Virat Kohli for his attitude on ground, Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah on Monday called the Indian skipper 'world's worst behaved player'. 
&nbsp; 
Kohli, who is currently Down Under for the ongoing Test series, has been in the news lately for his war of words with his Australian counterpart Tim Paine.

Taking to Facebook, the 'Ishqiya' actor wrote: "Virat K is not only the world's best batsman but also the world's worst behaved player. His cricketing brilliance pales beside his arrogance and bad manners.. And I have no intention of leaving the country by the way."&nbsp;

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Shah's post received mixed response with some fans defending the cricketer, saying that the aggression was required to beat Australians, while some agreed with the actor.&nbsp;

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Earlier in the day, Kohli and Paine came close to chest bumping when the Indian captain walked in front of Paine while he was close to completing a run.&nbsp;

The skippers’ verbal duel had forced on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney to warn both the players during the fourth day of the second Test.&nbsp;

After former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey criticised Virat Kohli for his attitude on ground, Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah on Monday called the Indian skipper 'world's worst behaved player'.

After former Australian cricketer Mike Hussey criticised Virat Kohli for his attitude on ground, Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah on Monday called the Indian skipper 'world's worst behaved player'. Kohli, who is currently Down Under for the ongoing Test series, has been in the news lately for his war of words with his Australian counterpart Tim Paine. Taking to Facebook, the 'Ishqiya' actor wrote: "Virat K is not only the world's best batsman but also the world's worst behaved player. His cricketing brilliance pales beside his arrogance and bad manners.. And I have no intention of leaving the country by the way." × Shah's post received mixed response with some fans defending the cricketer, saying that the aggression was required to beat Australians, while some agreed with the actor. × × × Earlier in the day, Kohli and Paine came close to chest bumping when the Indian captain walked in front of Paine while he was close to completing a run. The skippers’ verbal duel had forced on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney to warn both the players during the fourth day of the second Test.

Naseeruddin Shah calls Virat Kohli 'world's worst behaved player', Twitter gets upset

The onfield verbal duel between rival captains Virat Kohli and Tim Paine has been one of the talking points of the second Test here but Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood Monday played it down, saying it was done in good spirits.

During the 71st over of the Australia innings bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, the respective captains were seen exchanging words after Kohli decided to field close to the non-striker and on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney warned both the players.

But, Hazlewood cautioned against reading too much in the exchange of words between Kohli and Paine.

"I think it was all good fun, it's quite competitive out there as you know and there's going to be words from time to time but it was all in good spirits," Hazlewood said.

"I don't think we read too much into it, we go about our work as we see fit and the Indians can do what they like. We control what we control and our behaviour is what we control. We'll worry about that and let everything else take care of itself."

It worked out well for Australia in the end as Kohli was dismissed for 17 in the second innings as India crashed to 55-4 in their chase. But, Hazlewood said Australia were not targeting a single batsman.&nbsp;

"No definitely not. I probably see (Cheteshwar) Pujara as the big wicket as far as when I'm bowling, the glue that holds them together I think. He's batted the most balls this series and scored nearly the most runs.&nbsp;

"I see Pujara as a big wicket and Ajinkya Rahane as well. So the nos. 3, 4, 5 as the key wickets and we see it a bit unstable in the other parts of the order. Certainly not all the focus is on Virat Kohli," he said.

Australia were on course for a series-levelling win after reducing India to 112-5 at stumps on day four, but Hazlewood said there were still some work to do for them for another home victory.

"I didn't go to the UAE, so it feels a bit of a long time between wins, but there's still a lot of work to do tomorrow. Anytime I'm playing in Australia we feel pretty confident, especially the bowlers feel very confident in getting 20 wickets and a result," he said.&nbsp;

"Last year, we got there four times out of five, so we are feeling pretty confident. It's just putting that into practice more often than not this summer," he added.

Usman Khawaja anchored the Australia innings by scoring 72 and adding 72 runs with Paine for the sixth wicket as Australia scored 243 runs in their second innings, despite Mohammed Shami taking 6/56.

"With Steve (Smith) and Dave (Warner) not here, a bit more pressure falls on Usman. I think he's the most capped batsman with Shaun Marsh. Experience counts a lot in these situations and there are quite a lot of young guys in top six. Usman felt that responsibility a bit more this season and he's been struggling the first couple of innings but to see him fight today made everyone a bit more relaxed," the pacer said.

"Tim Paine keeps things quite calm and composed and he doesn't get too flustered at any stages really and you could see that with the bat today, the way he batted and he was pretty unlucky to get that one today. In the field he leads very well, nice and calm."

Hazlewood said Paine was getting more confident as a leader, whether with the bat or in the field.&nbsp;

"He's quite an experienced player, and I think he's had time out of the game as well, so he knows himself quite well, not just as a cricketer but as a person. So off the field he's great to talk to about life, and the cricket side takes care of itself. He's been really great," he signed off.&nbsp;

The onfield verbal duel between rival captains Virat Kohli and Tim Paine has been one of the talking points of the second Test here but Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood Monday played it down, saying it was done in good spirits.

The onfield verbal duel between rival captains Virat Kohli and Tim Paine has been one of the talking points of the second Test here but Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood Monday played it down, saying it was done in good spirits. During the 71st over of the Australia innings bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, the respective captains were seen exchanging words after Kohli decided to field close to the non-striker and on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney warned both the players. But, Hazlewood cautioned against reading too much in the exchange of words between Kohli and Paine. "I think it was all good fun, it's quite competitive out there as you know and there's going to be words from time to time but it was all in good spirits," Hazlewood said. "I don't think we read too much into it, we go about our work as we see fit and the Indians can do what they like. We control what we control and our behaviour is what we control. We'll worry about that and let everything else take care of itself." It worked out well for Australia in the end as Kohli was dismissed for 17 in the second innings as India crashed to 55-4 in their chase. But, Hazlewood said Australia were not targeting a single batsman. "No definitely not. I probably see (Cheteshwar) Pujara as the big wicket as far as when I'm bowling, the glue that holds them together I think. He's batted the most balls this series and scored nearly the most runs. "I see Pujara as a big wicket and Ajinkya Rahane as well. So the nos. 3, 4, 5 as the key wickets and we see it a bit unstable in the other parts of the order. Certainly not all the focus is on Virat Kohli," he said. Australia were on course for a series-levelling win after reducing India to 112-5 at stumps on day four, but Hazlewood said there were still some work to do for them for another home victory. "I didn't go to the UAE, so it feels a bit of a long time between wins, but there's still a lot of work to do tomorrow. Anytime I'm playing in Australia we feel pretty confident, especially the bowlers feel very confident in getting 20 wickets and a result," he said. "Last year, we got there four times out of five, so we are feeling pretty confident. It's just putting that into practice more often than not this summer," he added. Usman Khawaja anchored the Australia innings by scoring 72 and adding 72 runs with Paine for the sixth wicket as Australia scored 243 runs in their second innings, despite Mohammed Shami taking 6/56. "With Steve (Smith) and Dave (Warner) not here, a bit more pressure falls on Usman. I think he's the most capped batsman with Shaun Marsh. Experience counts a lot in these situations and there are quite a lot of young guys in top six. Usman felt that responsibility a bit more this season and he's been struggling the first couple of innings but to see him fight today made everyone a bit more relaxed," the pacer said. "Tim Paine keeps things quite calm and composed and he doesn't get too flustered at any stages really and you could see that with the bat today, the way he batted and he was pretty unlucky to get that one today. In the field he leads very well, nice and calm." Hazlewood said Paine was getting more confident as a leader, whether with the bat or in the field. "He's quite an experienced player, and I think he's had time out of the game as well, so he knows himself quite well, not just as a cricketer but as a person. So off the field he's great to talk to about life, and the cricket side takes care of itself. He's been really great," he signed off.

Verbal duel between Kohli and Paine done in good spirits: Australian pacer Hazlewood

Australia need five wickets in the second test to secure a series-levelling victory with India's daunting run chase on a menacing pitch teetering at stumps on day four on Monday.

Chasing 287 runs after bowling out Australia’s second innings for 243, India reached the close at 112 for five with Hanuma Vihari 24 not out and Rishabh Pant unbeaten on nine.

Struggling on the Perth Stadium pitch marked by widening cracks, India made a poor start losing the key wickets of Lokesh Rahul for a fourth-ball duck and Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s first test hero in Adelaide, for four.

India’s faint hopes rested on captain Virat Kohli who counter-attacked with several flowing drives in reminiscent fashion to his masterful first innings of 123.

Kohli combined with opener Murali Vijay to stabilise India before he edged a straight Nathan Lyon delivery to Usman Khawaja at slip for 17, sparking scenes of jubilation from the Australian players.

The off-spinner claimed the India talisman for a record seventh time, the most by a bowler, and in his next over bowled Vijay for 20 off an inside edge.

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Lyon and Hazlewood strike in the final session of day four to put Australia in a strong position to level the series in Perth. India are 112/5 at stumps, needing 175 runs on the final day to claim victory.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> scorecard ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc">https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc</a> <a href="https://t.co/edmRkR9Mqr">pic.twitter.com/edmRkR9Mqr</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1074604124208009216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Lyon continued his stranglehold over India, continually troubling the batsmen by targeting the expansive rough patches.

Ajinkya Rahane played his strokes and combined well with Vihari before the India vice-captain fell just before stumps, slashing a Josh Hazlewood delivery straight to point for 30.

The bowling onslaught has Australia on the cusp of snapping a barren six-test run without a win and providing skipper Tim Paine with his first triumph as captain.

Australia's bowlers regained firm control of the match after their batsmen had crumbled against quick Mohammed Shami in the middle session.

After a wicketless morning session, India came alive through blistering short-pitched bowling from Shami, who made the ball steeple off the deteriorating wicket to finish with a career-best 6-56.

Australia spectacularly lost four wickets for six runs starting with Paine (37) falling to a vicious short ball from Shami, which spat off the pitch hitting the glove and ballooned to slip.

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Australia pick two quick wickets, and India are 15/2 at Tea. Starc &amp; Hazlewood pick one wicket each. Kohli 0*, Vijay 6* <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/eKdq5ELmIw">pic.twitter.com/eKdq5ELmIw</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1074561545605017600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Shami was on a hat-trick when he had Aaron Finch caught behind down the leg-side in a fleeting resumption for the opener.

Finch retired hurt on day three on 25 after being struck on the glove by a searing short ball from Shami but X-Rays cleared him of serious injury to his right index finger.

Shami was denied the hat-trick but soon claimed his fifth wicket with another menacing bouncer that caught Khawaja's glove to be caught behind for 72.

Australia's lead was 250 before Hazlewood (17 not out) and Mitchell Starc (14) added an invaluable 36 runs for the last wicket.

The pyrotechnics contrasted a sedate morning session dominated by Australia, who grabbed control of a fluctuating match with Khawaja and Paine batting through to lunch.

Australia need five wickets in the second test to secure a series-levelling victory with India's daunting run chase on a menacing pitch teetering at stumps on day four on Monday.

Australia need five wickets in the second test to secure a series-levelling victory with India's daunting run chase on a menacing pitch teetering at stumps on day four on Monday. Chasing 287 runs after bowling out Australia’s second innings for 243, India reached the close at 112 for five with Hanuma Vihari 24 not out and Rishabh Pant unbeaten on nine. Struggling on the Perth Stadium pitch marked by widening cracks, India made a poor start losing the key wickets of Lokesh Rahul for a fourth-ball duck and Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s first test hero in Adelaide, for four. India’s faint hopes rested on captain Virat Kohli who counter-attacked with several flowing drives in reminiscent fashion to his masterful first innings of 123. Kohli combined with opener Murali Vijay to stabilise India before he edged a straight Nathan Lyon delivery to Usman Khawaja at slip for 17, sparking scenes of jubilation from the Australian players. The off-spinner claimed the India talisman for a record seventh time, the most by a bowler, and in his next over bowled Vijay for 20 off an inside edge. Lyon and Hazlewood strike in the final session of day four to put Australia in a strong position to level the series in Perth. India are 112/5 at stumps, needing 175 runs on the final day to claim victory.#AUSvIND scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc pic.twitter.com/edmRkR9Mqr — ICC (@ICC) December 17, 2018 × Lyon continued his stranglehold over India, continually troubling the batsmen by targeting the expansive rough patches. Ajinkya Rahane played his strokes and combined well with Vihari before the India vice-captain fell just before stumps, slashing a Josh Hazlewood delivery straight to point for 30. The bowling onslaught has Australia on the cusp of snapping a barren six-test run without a win and providing skipper Tim Paine with his first triumph as captain. Australia's bowlers regained firm control of the match after their batsmen had crumbled against quick Mohammed Shami in the middle session. After a wicketless morning session, India came alive through blistering short-pitched bowling from Shami, who made the ball steeple off the deteriorating wicket to finish with a career-best 6-56. Australia spectacularly lost four wickets for six runs starting with Paine (37) falling to a vicious short ball from Shami, which spat off the pitch hitting the glove and ballooned to slip. Australia pick two quick wickets, and India are 15/2 at Tea. Starc & Hazlewood pick one wicket each. Kohli 0*, Vijay 6* #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/eKdq5ELmIw — BCCI (@BCCI) December 17, 2018 × Shami was on a hat-trick when he had Aaron Finch caught behind down the leg-side in a fleeting resumption for the opener. Finch retired hurt on day three on 25 after being struck on the glove by a searing short ball from Shami but X-Rays cleared him of serious injury to his right index finger. Shami was denied the hat-trick but soon claimed his fifth wicket with another menacing bouncer that caught Khawaja's glove to be caught behind for 72. Australia's lead was 250 before Hazlewood (17 not out) and Mitchell Starc (14) added an invaluable 36 runs for the last wicket. The pyrotechnics contrasted a sedate morning session dominated by Australia, who grabbed control of a fluctuating match with Khawaja and Paine batting through to lunch.

India vs Australia, 2nd Test, Day 4: Australia five wickets away from winning

Australian skipper Tim Paine has been involved in a war of words with Indian counterpart Virat Kohli and there seems to be no end in sight.

After the umpire intervened and separated the two when Paine was batting, the Australian, when fielding, turned to Murali Vijay taking a jibe at the Indian captain.&nbsp;

"I know he's your captain but you can't seriously like him as a bloke," a tweet quoted Paine as telling Murali Vijay about Virat Kohli.

The Kohli-Paine war of words began on Day 3 after the visitors went for a huge caught-behind appeal in the final over of the day.&nbsp;

The stump microphones picked up Virat Kohli saying, "if he messes it up, it's 2-0," while referring to the Test series lead. Tim Paine promptly replied: "You've got to bat first, big head".

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More cheeky banter caught on the TV stump mic! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/pDbuJIfJJI">pic.twitter.com/pDbuJIfJJI</a>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1074582652554899456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The argument continued on Day 4 and umpire Chris Gaffaney had to intervene as Virat Kohli and Paine got involved in another argument.

Chasing 287 runs after bowling out Australia’s second innings for 243, India reached the close at 112 for five with Hanuma Vihari 24 not out and Rishabh Pant unbeaten on nine.

Australian skipper Tim Paine has been involved in a war of words with Indian counterpart Virat Kohli and there seems to be no end in sight. After the umpire intervened and separated the two when Paine was batting, the Australian, when fielding, turned to Murali Vijay taking a jibe at the Indian captain.

Australian skipper Tim Paine has been involved in a war of words with Indian counterpart Virat Kohli and there seems to be no end in sight. After the umpire intervened and separated the two when Paine was batting, the Australian, when fielding, turned to Murali Vijay taking a jibe at the Indian captain. "I know he's your captain but you can't seriously like him as a bloke," a tweet quoted Paine as telling Murali Vijay about Virat Kohli. The Kohli-Paine war of words began on Day 3 after the visitors went for a huge caught-behind appeal in the final over of the day. The stump microphones picked up Virat Kohli saying, "if he messes it up, it's 2-0," while referring to the Test series lead. Tim Paine promptly replied: "You've got to bat first, big head". More cheeky banter caught on the TV stump mic! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/pDbuJIfJJI — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2018 × The argument continued on Day 4 and umpire Chris Gaffaney had to intervene as Virat Kohli and Paine got involved in another argument. Chasing 287 runs after bowling out Australia’s second innings for 243, India reached the close at 112 for five with Hanuma Vihari 24 not out and Rishabh Pant unbeaten on nine.

'You can't like Virat Kohli as a man: Paine caught saying to Murali Vijay on stump mic

Mohammed Shami took a five-wicket haul as&nbsp;Australia were all out for 243 in the middle session on the fourth day on Monday in Perth Test.&nbsp;

Shami picked up a career-best 6-56 as the hosts lost six wickets for 51 runs before a 36-run last-wicket partnership between Mitchell Starc (14) and Josh Hazlewood (17 not out) boosted their tally.&nbsp;

Usman Khawaja top-scored for Australia with 72, while Aaron Finch (25) was dismissed on the first ball by Shami on the resumption of his innings after retiring hurt on day three.

At lunch on the fourth day, the home side were 190 for four in their second innings, an overall advantage of 233 runs.

But lost quick wickets just after returning from lunch break.

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Six-wicket haul and career-best figures for Mohammed Shami! 👏 
 
He adds the scalp of Lyon to his list to trigger Australia's collapse after lunch. He has 6/41 for now – his best figures. 
 
Australia 207/9, a lead of 250. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> LIVE 
➡️ <a href="https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc">https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc</a> <a href="https://t.co/iyo0AyIT2c">pic.twitter.com/iyo0AyIT2c</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1074544206499250177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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India lead the series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Adelaide.

The scoreboard at the end of Australia's second innings:

Australia 1st innings 326 (M. Harris 70, T. Head 58; Sharma 4-41)

India 1st innings 283 (V Kohli 123, A Rahane 51; Lyon 5-67)

Australia 2nd innings (overnight 132-4)

M. Harris b Bumrah &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;20

A. Finch c Pant b Shami &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;25

U. Khawaja c Pant b Shami &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;72

S. Marsh c Pant b Shami &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5

P. Handscomb lbw Sharma &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;13

T. Head c Sharma b Shami &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;19

T. Paine&nbsp;c Kohli b Shami &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;37

P. Cummins b Bumrah &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1

M. Starc b Bumrah &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;14

N. Lyon c Vihari b Shami &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5

J. Hazlewood not out &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;17

Extras (b8, lb3, w4) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;15

Total (all out, 93.2 overs) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;243

Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Harris), 2-64 (Marsh), 3-85 (Handscomb), 4-120 (Head), 5-192 (Paine), 6-192 (Finch), 7-198 (Khawaja), 8-198 (Cummins), 9-207 (Lyon), 10-243 (Starc)

Bowling: Sharma 16-1-45-1, Bumrah 25.2-10-39-3, Shami 24-8-56-6 (2w), Yadav 14-0-61-0 (2w), Vihari 14-4-31-0

Mohammed Shami took a five-wicket haul as Australia were all out for 243 in the middle session on the fourth day on Monday in Perth Test. Shami picked up a career-best 6-56 as the hosts lost six wickets for 51 runs before a 36-run last-wicket partnership between Mitchell Starc (14) and Josh Hazlewood (17 not out) boosted their tally.

Mohammed Shami took a five-wicket haul as Australia were all out for 243 in the middle session on the fourth day on Monday in Perth Test. Shami picked up a career-best 6-56 as the hosts lost six wickets for 51 runs before a 36-run last-wicket partnership between Mitchell Starc (14) and Josh Hazlewood (17 not out) boosted their tally. Usman Khawaja top-scored for Australia with 72, while Aaron Finch (25) was dismissed on the first ball by Shami on the resumption of his innings after retiring hurt on day three. At lunch on the fourth day, the home side were 190 for four in their second innings, an overall advantage of 233 runs. But lost quick wickets just after returning from lunch break. Six-wicket haul and career-best figures for Mohammed Shami! 👏 He adds the scalp of Lyon to his list to trigger Australia's collapse after lunch. He has 6/41 for now – his best figures. Australia 207/9, a lead of 250. #AUSvIND LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc pic.twitter.com/iyo0AyIT2c — ICC (@ICC) December 17, 2018 × India lead the series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Adelaide. The scoreboard at the end of Australia's second innings: Australia 1st innings 326 (M. Harris 70, T. Head 58; Sharma 4-41) India 1st innings 283 (V Kohli 123, A Rahane 51; Lyon 5-67) Australia 2nd innings (overnight 132-4) M. Harris b Bumrah 20 A. Finch c Pant b Shami 25 U. Khawaja c Pant b Shami 72 S. Marsh c Pant b Shami 5 P. Handscomb lbw Sharma 13 T. Head c Sharma b Shami 19 T. Paine c Kohli b Shami 37 P. Cummins b Bumrah 1 M. Starc b Bumrah 14 N. Lyon c Vihari b Shami 5 J. Hazlewood not out 17 Extras (b8, lb3, w4) 15 Total (all out, 93.2 overs) 243 Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Harris), 2-64 (Marsh), 3-85 (Handscomb), 4-120 (Head), 5-192 (Paine), 6-192 (Finch), 7-198 (Khawaja), 8-198 (Cummins), 9-207 (Lyon), 10-243 (Starc) Bowling: Sharma 16-1-45-1, Bumrah 25.2-10-39-3, Shami 24-8-56-6 (2w), Yadav 14-0-61-0 (2w), Vihari 14-4-31-0

INDvsAUS: Australia all out for 243, India need 287 to win Perth Test

Virat Kohli Sunday became the second fastest to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-virat-kohli-slams-25th-test-century-in-perth-test-184408">25 Test centuries</a> with his sixth ton in Australia, joining boyhood hero Sachin Tendulkar, and celebrated by suggesting he lets his bat do the talking.&nbsp;

In reply to Australia's first-innings total of 326 all out, India were 252 for seven at lunch on the third day, with Kohli doing the bulk of the scoring.

On reaching the three-figure mark, Kohli removed his helmet and placed it on the green turf at the Optus Stadium.

The Indian fans roared from the stands as their hero pointed at his bat and gestured with his fingers in a manner that suggested: 'I let the bat do the talking' rather than the mouth.&nbsp;

The innovative celebration caught the attention of the cricket world.

"If anyone has seen a better player across all the different formats then I haven't seen him .. @imVkohli is incredible ... Loved his 'let the Bat do the talking' celebration !!" former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted.&nbsp;

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If anyone has seen a better player across all the different formats then I haven’t seen him .. <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> is incredible ... Loved his ‘let the Bat do the talking ‘ celebration !! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Perth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Perth</a>
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Spin legend Shane Warne wrote on his twitter handle, "Congrats to @imVkohli on another magnificent 100. A completely different class to any other batsman playing international cricket &amp; on the planet. An absolute joy to watch - well played!"&nbsp;

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Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> on another magnificent 100. A completely different class to any other batsman playing international cricket &amp; on the planet. An absolute joy to watch - well played ! India now have their noses ahead, 2nd new ball again an issue for the Aussies !
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Countryman Sachin Tendulkar is third with 130, while Don Bradman managed it in just 68.&nbsp;

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Well played <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a>. One of your finest innings. This knock will be remembered for a long time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/Gj1dSN4k4p">pic.twitter.com/Gj1dSN4k4p</a>
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1074164869388218369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It was also Kohli's sixth century in Australia, lifting him equal with Tendulkar as the only Indian batsmen to reach that tally, and gave him the honour of becoming the first Test centurion at the new Perth Stadium.&nbsp;

Kohli is now the 11th batsman to complete 1000 Test runs in a calendar year overseas and the third Indian to achieve the mark after Rahul Dravid (1137 runs in 18 innings in 2002) and Mohinder Amarnath (1065 runs in 16 innings in 1983).&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kohli is also the first Indian skipper to breach the milestone and the third overall captain after Australia's Bob Simpson and South Africa's Graeme Smith.

Virat Kohli Sunday became the second fastest to 25 Test centuries with his sixth ton in Australia, joining boyhood hero Sachin Tendulkar, and celebrated by suggesting he lets his bat do the talking.

Virat Kohli Sunday became the second fastest to 25 Test centuries with his sixth ton in Australia, joining boyhood hero Sachin Tendulkar, and celebrated by suggesting he lets his bat do the talking. In reply to Australia's first-innings total of 326 all out, India were 252 for seven at lunch on the third day, with Kohli doing the bulk of the scoring. On reaching the three-figure mark, Kohli removed his helmet and placed it on the green turf at the Optus Stadium. The Indian fans roared from the stands as their hero pointed at his bat and gestured with his fingers in a manner that suggested: 'I let the bat do the talking' rather than the mouth. The innovative celebration caught the attention of the cricket world. "If anyone has seen a better player across all the different formats then I haven't seen him .. @imVkohli is incredible ... Loved his 'let the Bat do the talking' celebration !!" former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted. If anyone has seen a better player across all the different formats then I haven’t seen him .. @imVkohli is incredible ... Loved his ‘let the Bat do the talking ‘ celebration !! #AUSvIND #Perth — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 16, 2018 × Spin legend Shane Warne wrote on his twitter handle, "Congrats to @imVkohli on another magnificent 100. A completely different class to any other batsman playing international cricket & on the planet. An absolute joy to watch - well played!" Congrats to @imVkohli on another magnificent 100. A completely different class to any other batsman playing international cricket & on the planet. An absolute joy to watch - well played ! India now have their noses ahead, 2nd new ball again an issue for the Aussies ! — Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) December 16, 2018 × Countryman Sachin Tendulkar is third with 130, while Don Bradman managed it in just 68. Well played @imVkohli. One of your finest innings. This knock will be remembered for a long time. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/Gj1dSN4k4p — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 16, 2018 × It was also Kohli's sixth century in Australia, lifting him equal with Tendulkar as the only Indian batsmen to reach that tally, and gave him the honour of becoming the first Test centurion at the new Perth Stadium. Kohli is now the 11th batsman to complete 1000 Test runs in a calendar year overseas and the third Indian to achieve the mark after Rahul Dravid (1137 runs in 18 innings in 2002) and Mohinder Amarnath (1065 runs in 16 innings in 1983). Kohli is also the first Indian skipper to breach the milestone and the third overall captain after Australia's Bob Simpson and South Africa's Graeme Smith.

India vs Australia: Twitter reaction on Virat Kohli's magnificent 123-run knock

India captain Virat Kohli slammed his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-virat-kohli-slams-25th-test-century-in-perth-test-184408">63 international century</a> playing against Australia in the second Test of a four-match series.

Master batsman Kohli brought up his 25th Test century, smashing a four off Mitchell Starc in Perth.

His brilliant innings of 123 came to an end when he edged Pat Cummins to a forward-diving Peter Handscomb at second slip.

While the debate over the accuracy of the catch is still on.

There were some confusion and the on-field umpire referred the decision to the third umpire.

The third umpire&nbsp;signalled it out after reviewing it from all the possible angles.

He hit 11 fours in the battling 214-ball knock after coming to the crease with his team in trouble after losing two early wickets.

Watch the video here:

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Virat Kohli was given OUT but was it a clean catch? 🤔🤔🤔<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FoxCricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FoxCricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/SAIv1kkX6N">pic.twitter.com/SAIv1kkX6N</a>
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxCricket/status/1074160545631096832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It's not out <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> <a href="https://t.co/MxpwwDcXXg">pic.twitter.com/MxpwwDcXXg</a>
— Prem chand 🇮🇳💪 (@gprema21) <a href="https://twitter.com/gprema21/status/1074160492157886464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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However, Virat was not happy with umpire's decision and reacted aggressively.

In the first innings,&nbsp;India were bowled out for 283 after lunch as Australia gained a valuable 43-run first innings lead.

Kohli top-scored and spinner Nathan Lyon took 5-67 for Australia on the grassy Perth Stadium wicket.

India captain Virat Kohli slammed his 63 international century playing against Australia in the second Test of a four-match series. Master batsman Kohli brought up his 25th Test century, smashing a four off Mitchell Starc in Perth.

India captain Virat Kohli slammed his 63 international century playing against Australia in the second Test of a four-match series. Master batsman Kohli brought up his 25th Test century, smashing a four off Mitchell Starc in Perth. His brilliant innings of 123 came to an end when he edged Pat Cummins to a forward-diving Peter Handscomb at second slip. While the debate over the accuracy of the catch is still on. There were some confusion and the on-field umpire referred the decision to the third umpire. The third umpire signalled it out after reviewing it from all the possible angles. He hit 11 fours in the battling 214-ball knock after coming to the crease with his team in trouble after losing two early wickets. Watch the video here: Virat Kohli was given OUT but was it a clean catch? 🤔🤔🤔#FoxCricket #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/SAIv1kkX6N — Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 16, 2018 × It's not out @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/MxpwwDcXXg — Prem chand 🇮🇳💪 (@gprema21) December 16, 2018 × However, Virat was not happy with umpire's decision and reacted aggressively. In the first innings, India were bowled out for 283 after lunch as Australia gained a valuable 43-run first innings lead. Kohli top-scored and spinner Nathan Lyon took 5-67 for Australia on the grassy Perth Stadium wicket.

Watch: Out or not out? Debate over Virat Kohli's wicket is on

India captain <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=virat+kohli">Virat Kohli</a> completed his 25th Test century after smashing a four off Mitchell Starc to reach triple figures on day three of the second Test in Perth.

Playing in his 75th Test, the Indian run-machine did it in style with a classic straight drive against Australia in the second Test of a four-match series at Perth Stadium on Sunday.

He hit 11 fours in the battling 214-ball knock after coming to the crease with his team in trouble after losing two early wickets.

It was his sixth ton in Australia, putting him in the elite company of Sachin Tendulkar.

Kohli has scored five, which is the highest Test centuries so far in the year 2018. He smashed a total of 11 international centuries in this year.

He also became the first ever batsman to record&nbsp;11 tons&nbsp;in two calendar years.

With&nbsp;total 63 international centuries and is only behind Ricky Ponting (71) and Tendulkar (100).

When Virat completed his ton, India were at 207 for the loss of four wickets in the ongoing match.

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Captain Kohli notches his 25th Test ton. One of the finest from King Kohli 👑😎👌🏻 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/LisPQ6pobc">pic.twitter.com/LisPQ6pobc</a>
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Earlier, In reply to Australia's first innings of 326, India fought back on the green-tinged Perth Stadium pitch to reach stumps at 172 for three with Kohli 82 not out and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 51.

"We feel confident when he is batting," said India quick Ishant Sharma of Kohli. "We finished the day in a strong position. Hopefully, tomorrow we will win the first session."

The home side bowled accurately but the much-hyped pitch, marked with widening cracks, settled down late in the day.

India captain Virat Kohli completed his 25th Test century after smashing a four off Mitchell Starc to reach triple figures on day three of the second Test in Perth.

India captain Virat Kohli completed his 25th Test century after smashing a four off Mitchell Starc to reach triple figures on day three of the second Test in Perth. Playing in his 75th Test, the Indian run-machine did it in style with a classic straight drive against Australia in the second Test of a four-match series at Perth Stadium on Sunday. He hit 11 fours in the battling 214-ball knock after coming to the crease with his team in trouble after losing two early wickets. It was his sixth ton in Australia, putting him in the elite company of Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli has scored five, which is the highest Test centuries so far in the year 2018. He smashed a total of 11 international centuries in this year. He also became the first ever batsman to record 11 tons in two calendar years. With total 63 international centuries and is only behind Ricky Ponting (71) and Tendulkar (100). When Virat completed his ton, India were at 207 for the loss of four wickets in the ongoing match. Captain Kohli notches his 25th Test ton. One of the finest from King Kohli 👑😎👌🏻 #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/LisPQ6pobc — BCCI (@BCCI) December 16, 2018 × Earlier, In reply to Australia's first innings of 326, India fought back on the green-tinged Perth Stadium pitch to reach stumps at 172 for three with Kohli 82 not out and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 51. "We feel confident when he is batting," said India quick Ishant Sharma of Kohli. "We finished the day in a strong position. Hopefully, tomorrow we will win the first session." The home side bowled accurately but the much-hyped pitch, marked with widening cracks, settled down late in the day.

India vs Australia: Virat Kohli slams 25th Test century in Perth Test

Australia battled through an onslaught from India's fiery fast bowlers on the third day of the second Test, building an ominous 175-run lead with six wickets in hand on a menacing Perth Stadium pitch that is expected to deteriorate further.

The hosts reached stumps at 132 for four in their second innings on Sunday with Usman Khawaja 41 not out and captain Tim Paine unbeaten on eight.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-2018-19-schedule-teams-time-and-venue-177740">Australia</a>, desperate to level the series after narrowly losing the opener in Adelaide, could be without the services of opener Aaron Finch, who retired hurt on the stroke of tea with a possible fractured right index finger.

Under overcast skies, Australia's batsmen faced torrid bowling from India's fired-up quicks with Finch, who was unbeaten on 25, forced off after being hit by a searing delivery from Mohammed Shami.

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Another fascinating day of Test cricket! Australia close day three in Perth on 132/4 in their second innings, with a lead of 175 runs over India after the visitors were dismissed for 283. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> scorecard ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc">https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc</a> <a href="https://t.co/F3zt6p9jXV">pic.twitter.com/F3zt6p9jXV</a>
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Marcus Harris, Finch's opening partner, had earlier been hit on the helmet attempting to evade a sharp bouncer from paceman Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled superbly in favourable conditions.

A bewildered Harris fell after the tea break clean bowled by Bumrah for 20 after not offering a shot, and locally-bred Shaun Marsh was caught behind for five while rashly attempting a pull shot off Shami.

Australia's inexperienced batting-order struggled under pressure with Peter Handscomb making an unconvincing 13 before being trapped leg before after shuffling across his stumps to Ishant Sharma, who bowled without luck initially.

Travis Head was dismissed before the close for 19 after needlessly guiding a wide Shami delivery to deep third man, in a mirror-image of his first innings dismissal.

Khawaja, Australia's most accomplished batsman, survived several nerve-jangling moments to compile his highest score in the series.

Australia's impulsive batting almost squandered their advantage after bowling out India for 283 to gain a handy first innings lead of 43 runs, despite a brilliant century from India captain Virat Kohli.

An enthralling morning session belonged to the peerless Kohli, whose 123 came to an end at the stroke of lunch when he edged Pat Cummins to a forward-diving Handscomb at second slip.

Whether Handscomb got his fingers under the ball will be a matter of debate for days to come but the onfield official's soft signal was out and the third umpire did not reverse the decision on review.

Kohli had reached his 25th century in style with a flowing off-drive to the boundary and then placed his helmet on the ground, pointed to his bat and made a yapping gesture with his gloved hand.

It was his sixth century in Australia, which matches the tally of the great Sachin Tendulkar, and ended a drought against Australia with just 83 runs in his past seven Test innings against them.

Kohli showed no lasting ill-effects from an earlier injury scare when he was struck on the forearm by a searing Mitchell Starc bouncer and required treatment.

Spinner Nathan Lyon targeted the pitch's expansive rough patches and cleaned up the tail to finish with 5-67.

Australia battled through an onslaught from India's fiery fast bowlers on the third day of the second Test, building an ominous 175-run lead with six wickets in hand on a menacing Perth Stadium pitch that is expected to deteriorate further.

Australia battled through an onslaught from India's fiery fast bowlers on the third day of the second Test, building an ominous 175-run lead with six wickets in hand on a menacing Perth Stadium pitch that is expected to deteriorate further. The hosts reached stumps at 132 for four in their second innings on Sunday with Usman Khawaja 41 not out and captain Tim Paine unbeaten on eight. Australia, desperate to level the series after narrowly losing the opener in Adelaide, could be without the services of opener Aaron Finch, who retired hurt on the stroke of tea with a possible fractured right index finger. Under overcast skies, Australia's batsmen faced torrid bowling from India's fired-up quicks with Finch, who was unbeaten on 25, forced off after being hit by a searing delivery from Mohammed Shami. Another fascinating day of Test cricket! Australia close day three in Perth on 132/4 in their second innings, with a lead of 175 runs over India after the visitors were dismissed for 283. #AUSvIND scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/viG01Bpvlc pic.twitter.com/F3zt6p9jXV — ICC (@ICC) December 16, 2018 × Marcus Harris, Finch's opening partner, had earlier been hit on the helmet attempting to evade a sharp bouncer from paceman Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled superbly in favourable conditions. A bewildered Harris fell after the tea break clean bowled by Bumrah for 20 after not offering a shot, and locally-bred Shaun Marsh was caught behind for five while rashly attempting a pull shot off Shami. Australia's inexperienced batting-order struggled under pressure with Peter Handscomb making an unconvincing 13 before being trapped leg before after shuffling across his stumps to Ishant Sharma, who bowled without luck initially. Travis Head was dismissed before the close for 19 after needlessly guiding a wide Shami delivery to deep third man, in a mirror-image of his first innings dismissal. Khawaja, Australia's most accomplished batsman, survived several nerve-jangling moments to compile his highest score in the series. Australia's impulsive batting almost squandered their advantage after bowling out India for 283 to gain a handy first innings lead of 43 runs, despite a brilliant century from India captain Virat Kohli. An enthralling morning session belonged to the peerless Kohli, whose 123 came to an end at the stroke of lunch when he edged Pat Cummins to a forward-diving Handscomb at second slip. Whether Handscomb got his fingers under the ball will be a matter of debate for days to come but the onfield official's soft signal was out and the third umpire did not reverse the decision on review. Kohli had reached his 25th century in style with a flowing off-drive to the boundary and then placed his helmet on the ground, pointed to his bat and made a yapping gesture with his gloved hand. It was his sixth century in Australia, which matches the tally of the great Sachin Tendulkar, and ended a drought against Australia with just 83 runs in his past seven Test innings against them. Kohli showed no lasting ill-effects from an earlier injury scare when he was struck on the forearm by a searing Mitchell Starc bouncer and required treatment. Spinner Nathan Lyon targeted the pitch's expansive rough patches and cleaned up the tail to finish with 5-67.

INDvsAUS, 2nd Test, Day 3: Australia build vital lead against India in Perth

Australia remain confident of grabbing a valuable first-innings lead over India in the second test despite being stonewalled by visiting captain Virat Kohli on a grassy Perth Stadium wicket that failed to match the hype on day two.

After Australia made a competitive 326 in their first innings, spearheads Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood started spectacularly with the ball by dismissing India openers Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul inside the opening six overs.

But Kohli rescued India through half-century partnership&nbsp;with the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.

India reached stumps on a more comfortable 172 for three with Kohli 82 not out and his deputy Rahane unbeaten on 51 to leave the match evenly poised. 
Australia bowled accurately but the pitch, marked with widening cracks, settled down late in the day.

Australia batsman Usman Khawaja believed there was enough spice in the wicket for the bowlers to exploit in the crucial third morning session.

“It had (some) patches today, which were still doing a bit,” Khawaja told reporters. “I think we bowled well but we probably could have been more disciplined. Hopefully tomorrow we can be just a little bit better.”

Beyond Kohli and Rahane, who have shared an unbeaten 90-run partnership, India’s batting order contains inexperienced pair Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant, and a fragile lower-order.

“I think one or two wickets in the first session tomorrow will be pretty big for us,” Khawaja said. “It isn’t an easy wicket to bat on. We have to start well and then we can have a chance at that tail.”

Khawaja praised Kohli's determined 181-ball knock, but reckoned Australia would have opportunities to knock over the India talisman.

“He was on early today and we gave him a couple of full balls and he hit us,” Khawaja said. “He got away but he will have to start again tomorrow and we will have another chance.”

India lead the four-match series after a nail-biting 31-run victory in Adelaide.

Australia remain confident of grabbing a valuable first-innings lead over India in the second test despite being stonewalled by visiting captain Virat Kohli on a grassy Perth Stadium wicket that failed to match the hype on day two.

Australia remain confident of grabbing a valuable first-innings lead over India in the second test despite being stonewalled by visiting captain Virat Kohli on a grassy Perth Stadium wicket that failed to match the hype on day two. After Australia made a competitive 326 in their first innings, spearheads Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood started spectacularly with the ball by dismissing India openers Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul inside the opening six overs. But Kohli rescued India through half-century partnership with the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. India reached stumps on a more comfortable 172 for three with Kohli 82 not out and his deputy Rahane unbeaten on 51 to leave the match evenly poised. Australia bowled accurately but the pitch, marked with widening cracks, settled down late in the day. Australia batsman Usman Khawaja believed there was enough spice in the wicket for the bowlers to exploit in the crucial third morning session. “It had (some) patches today, which were still doing a bit,” Khawaja told reporters. “I think we bowled well but we probably could have been more disciplined. Hopefully tomorrow we can be just a little bit better.” Beyond Kohli and Rahane, who have shared an unbeaten 90-run partnership, India’s batting order contains inexperienced pair Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant, and a fragile lower-order. “I think one or two wickets in the first session tomorrow will be pretty big for us,” Khawaja said. “It isn’t an easy wicket to bat on. We have to start well and then we can have a chance at that tail.” Khawaja praised Kohli's determined 181-ball knock, but reckoned Australia would have opportunities to knock over the India talisman. “He was on early today and we gave him a couple of full balls and he hit us,” Khawaja said. “He got away but he will have to start again tomorrow and we will have another chance.” India lead the four-match series after a nail-biting 31-run victory in Adelaide.

IND vs AUS: Australia confident despite India's ominous Kohli

India and Australia will play their second Test match of a four-match series at the brand new in Perth's Optus Stadium, which has a drop-in pitch.&nbsp;

Perth Stadium, which has a sitting capacity of 60,000, has succeeded the WACA as the city's premier venue for internationals.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-2nd-test-day-1-india-vs-australia-183864">All actions from India vs Australia second Test</a>

A drop-in pitch is a pitch that is prepared away from the ground or venue in which it is used, and "dropped" into place for a match to take place.&nbsp;

This allows multi-purpose venues to host other sports and events with more versatility than a dedicated cricket ground would allow.&nbsp;

Pitch's curator Brett Sipthorpe is trying to produce the 'bounciest' pitch he can and that could very well work in India's favour.&nbsp;

Weighing around 30 tons, the depth of a drop-in pitch is 20-cm. It is maintained and prepared in a steel frame.

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Perth - We are here! 😎👍🏻 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/AHeGmgKVVQ">pic.twitter.com/AHeGmgKVVQ</a>
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Not everyone is a drop-in fan. Purists warn such pitches -- which some grounds now favour so they can host multiple sports -- remove the characteristics of different fields that made matches more unpredictable, and therefore exciting.

"With the drop-in pitch, there's more of the sameness about things from city to city, and place to place," Australian cricket historian Bernard Whimpress told AFP.

"Which makes me sort of think, why don't they just forget about the drop-in pitch and put in artificial turf or something."

India and Australia will play their second Test match of a four-match series at the brand new in Perth's Optus Stadium, which has a drop-in pitch. Perth Stadium, which has a sitting capacity of 60,000, has succeeded the WACA as the city's premier venue for internationals.

India and Australia will play their second Test match of a four-match series at the brand new in Perth's Optus Stadium, which has a drop-in pitch. Perth Stadium, which has a sitting capacity of 60,000, has succeeded the WACA as the city's premier venue for internationals. Also Read: All actions from India vs Australia second Test A drop-in pitch is a pitch that is prepared away from the ground or venue in which it is used, and "dropped" into place for a match to take place. This allows multi-purpose venues to host other sports and events with more versatility than a dedicated cricket ground would allow. Pitch's curator Brett Sipthorpe is trying to produce the 'bounciest' pitch he can and that could very well work in India's favour. Weighing around 30 tons, the depth of a drop-in pitch is 20-cm. It is maintained and prepared in a steel frame. Perth - We are here! 😎👍🏻 #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/AHeGmgKVVQ — BCCI (@BCCI) December 13, 2018 × Not everyone is a drop-in fan. Purists warn such pitches -- which some grounds now favour so they can host multiple sports -- remove the characteristics of different fields that made matches more unpredictable, and therefore exciting. "With the drop-in pitch, there's more of the sameness about things from city to city, and place to place," Australian cricket historian Bernard Whimpress told AFP. "Which makes me sort of think, why don't they just forget about the drop-in pitch and put in artificial turf or something."

India vs Australia, 2nd Test: All you need to know about Perth's drop-in pitch

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has said his team is "more excited than nervous" by the lively&nbsp;Perth pitch&nbsp;as the team&nbsp;held its final training sessions on Thursday before the second Test <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-2018-19-schedule-teams-time-and-venue-177740">against Australia</a>.&nbsp;

"We certainly get more excited than nervous looking at lively pitches now because we understand that we do have a bowling attack which can, you know, bowl the opposition out. As much as they are convinced about their attack," Reuters quoted Kohli as saying at the pre-match press conference.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-australia-second-test-tim-paine-fit-aussies-unchanged-for-perth-test-183713">Tim Paine fit, Aussies unchanged for Perth Test</a>

Kohli told the media that the days when the Indians walked out on to a fiery track with fear were long gone.&nbsp;

"It's a very exciting phase to be in but something that we need to build on. As I said, we cannot be complacent or satisfied with one win. We have to keep repeating good things to be able to win series."&nbsp;

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An exciting contest awaits at Perth with a lot on offer for the quicks 🔥🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/k3Y7CQ8DQF">pic.twitter.com/k3Y7CQ8DQF</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1073098519928401920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Kohli said he thought both sides had an equal chance of winning the Test, as Indian batsman Rohit Sharma and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin were ruled out of the second Test against Australia by injury.&nbsp;

"We are definitely confident of the percentage of chances that we have and we want to build on that."&nbsp;

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Perth - We are here! 😎👍🏻 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/AHeGmgKVVQ">pic.twitter.com/AHeGmgKVVQ</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1073039877329973248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Obviously, Australia is going to be a strong team at their home conditions and on a wicket like Perth which probably offers you more than other pitches in Australia but as I said, we have an equal chance in the game."&nbsp;

Australia have kept their team unchanged, with Australia team Captain Tim Paine declaring himself fit and ready. Paine suffered a finger injury in the series-opening loss to India when he was struck on the glove by a short Mohammed Shami ball on the final day of play in Adelaide.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has said his team is "more excited than nervous" by the lively Perth pitch as the team held its final training sessions on Thursday before the second Test against Australia.

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has said his team is "more excited than nervous" by the lively Perth pitch as the team held its final training sessions on Thursday before the second Test against Australia. "We certainly get more excited than nervous looking at lively pitches now because we understand that we do have a bowling attack which can, you know, bowl the opposition out. As much as they are convinced about their attack," Reuters quoted Kohli as saying at the pre-match press conference. Also Read: Tim Paine fit, Aussies unchanged for Perth Test Kohli told the media that the days when the Indians walked out on to a fiery track with fear were long gone. "It's a very exciting phase to be in but something that we need to build on. As I said, we cannot be complacent or satisfied with one win. We have to keep repeating good things to be able to win series." An exciting contest awaits at Perth with a lot on offer for the quicks 🔥🔥 #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/k3Y7CQ8DQF — BCCI (@BCCI) December 13, 2018 × Kohli said he thought both sides had an equal chance of winning the Test, as Indian batsman Rohit Sharma and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin were ruled out of the second Test against Australia by injury. "We are definitely confident of the percentage of chances that we have and we want to build on that." Perth - We are here! 😎👍🏻 #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/AHeGmgKVVQ — BCCI (@BCCI) December 13, 2018 × "Obviously, Australia is going to be a strong team at their home conditions and on a wicket like Perth which probably offers you more than other pitches in Australia but as I said, we have an equal chance in the game." Australia have kept their team unchanged, with Australia team Captain Tim Paine declaring himself fit and ready. Paine suffered a finger injury in the series-opening loss to India when he was struck on the glove by a short Mohammed Shami ball on the final day of play in Adelaide. (With inputs from Reuters)

Time when India approached lively pitches with fear gone: Kohli before Perth Test

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