"They (the Australian players) sledge when they get frustrated. Obviously it was hot out there. Constantly they were sledging the players so that they could spoil their concentration. During that partnership (between him and Wriddhiman Saha) they were really, really having a go," said Kohli who slammed 116 in India`s first innings total of 272 on day three of the fourth and final Test here.
There was one particular moment in the field when Kohli had a verbal duel with Ben Hilfenhaus in the middle after he had just survived a run-out. "Hilfenhaus said something to me which was quite unnecessary. It was out of the blue. He wasn`t even bowling. I had just survived a run-out on 99. He said something to me which I can`t say in press conference. I gave it back to him, (I said) you didn`t have to do anything why would you do it," Kohli, who was the lone bright spot amid the ruins that resulted in India conceding a massive first-innings lead of 332, told reporters. Kohli stood by what he did and did not regret his action.
"Ishant and I both came together and started saying, got stuck to them and he got really pissed (off). I usually play my cricket like that and I like to give it back. At the end of the day I was pretty happy with what I did."
It took an intervention from Ricky Ponting-Kohli was seen being pulled away by the former Australian veteran in the middle-that calmed the situation somewhat. "He (Ponting) told me not to give it back or I would get in trouble. He was pretty much a help with that."
Ed Cowan and David Warner, who had an angry spat with Kohli and Ishant in Perth, fortunately didn`t have a go at the young Indian batsman today. "He actually congratulated me. Both of them actually. Both of them didn`t say anything. It was pretty low key till that incident happened. In Sydney, they were after me because I wasn`t scoring and here because I got a hundred. Not much has changed except that the reasons have changed. Kohli was caught showing his middle finger to the crowd after the second Test in Sydney, for which he was fined 50 per cent of his match fees."
"You have to give back verbally and then score a hundred, that`s even better. We don`t go out to take any kind of stuff from anyone. We are international cricketers as well. We have not come here to just participate. They should know that, and we need to let them know that, by talking and by performing. It`s really frustrating at times. They say things which they shouldn`t be saying on a cricket field. We go there to play and not to get abuse like that. If they come to enjoy the game of cricket, they should do it, not get drunk and abuse players. It`s not fair on the players. "If a player says anything they are fined and banned and crowd could say anything and go home. It should be played in a fair way."
Kohli was on 91 at tea when two wickets fell in quick succession, including Zaheer Khan`s first-ball dismissal. "Last time he (Zaheer) tried to block and he got out. This time we asked him to bat naturally. Unfortunately, he got out to first ball. I knew he would play like that. I wasn`t shocked but I was disappointed he got out first ball. After tea we lost two wickets off two balls. I was pretty frustrated at that point of time that something like Perth shouldn`t happen again. Next over I decided to go after Harris so that I could get it. Finally, after I got the 100th run, I was on cloud nine. Starting your cricket as a young kid, you dream of achieving Test century and the first one is really special."