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Home > Sports News > Cricket News > Article > From Big B to Michael Clarke Virat Kohli gets a new batting line up

From Big B to Michael Clarke, Virat Kohli gets a new 'batting' line-up

Updated on: 22 March,2017 06:40 PM IST  | 
mid-day online correspondent |

From Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan to ex-Australia captain Michael Clarke to commentator Harsha Bhogle, Virat Kohli is getting support from all quarters after the Oz media dubbed him 'Donald Trump'

From Big B to Michael Clarke, Virat Kohli gets a new 'batting' line-up

From Amitabh Bachchan to Michael Clarke, Virat Kohli gets a cheer squad

Virat Kohli has been repeatedly targetted by the Australian mediaVirat Kohli has been repeatedly targetted by the Australian media


The fight to lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a hotly fought contest with both India and Australia going at it hard. The 4-match Test series has seen a fair share of controversies -- both on and off-field -- and they are refusing to die down. Adding kindle to the fire is the Australian media.


Australian media had on Tuesday dubbed the India captain as Donald Trump of world sport and accused him of spreading fake news regarding their players. 


But, the article got some big wigs to come out and bat for the 28-year-old cricketer. From Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan to commentator Harsha Bhogle to former Aussie skipper Michael Clarke, every one has derided the media for their 'hate campaign'.

Amitabh took to Twitter on Wednesday to chi in with some banter of his own to shut down the Aussies. He thanked the Australian media for comparing Kohli with Trump since that meant them accepting that the Indian skipper was a winner and the "President". 

Leading Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle also hit out at the "toxicity" blighting the series against Australia, and called for both sides to show restraint before the winner-takes-all final Test begins Saturday.

Harsha Bhogle
Harsha Bhogle

Bhogle feared that the glorification of aggressive on-field behaviour by media on both sides and passions boiling over could harm Test cricket’s reputation with the series on a knife-edge at 1-1.

"Friends in Australia tell me they are perturbed by the toxicity this series has generated. Cricket lovers in India saying so too," Bhogle said on Twitter. "If we have to use toxicity and divisiveness to spread our game, we are using a short-term approach that can only be harmful," added the veteran Indian TV cricket analyst. "I am particularly perturbed by the fact that some of us in the media are promoting this divisiveness and taking sides to spread ill-will."

Bhogle said it was time the media stopped fanning the flames before lasting damage was done to Test cricket. "A lot of us entered this profession because we love sport and had the opportunity to talk/write about it. We didn't enter to spread toxicity," he tweeted.

Even former Australia captain Michael Clarke has said that Kohli should not be "bothered" by a couple of Australian journalists who are trying to "tarnish his image".

Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke

Coming out in support of the Indian captain, Clarke told 'Aaj Tak-India Today' news channel on Wednesday, "Comparing Virat Kohli with Donald Trump - what a load of s*** is that. What Virat did, even Smith would have. Bear in mind, I love Kohli and the Australian public love him. I always somehow find an Australian in him the way he plays and I absolutely love how he accepts challenges. It's just two or three reporters who are trying to tarnish him but Virat shouldn't be bothered."

Clarke said even Steve Smith won't be bothered by what Australian media is writing. "I don't think even Steve Smith would bother about what the Australian media is saying. In fact both the captains would be telling their teams to concentrate on how to win in Dharamshala."

TWITTERATI ALSO MOCKED THE AUSTRALIAN MEDIA:

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