Virat Kohli has had a history of run-ins with Australian cricketers. However, on Sunday, it was the start of a new chapter that had a humane touch to it.

In 2017, after the ill-tempered Test series against Australia which was wrapped up in Dharamsala, Kohli had declared that he is no longer friends with the Australian cricketers. However, a lot has happened since. Smith was banned for a year for ball tampering, stripped off his captaincy and criticised worldwide. Sunday saw a different side of Kohli, who urged the vociferous Indian fans at The Oval not to subject Smith with boos and cheater chants when the Australian was fielding near the fence.