Bharat Express

“Bhatta Phenk Raha Hai”? Virat Kohli Charges On The Windies Star For Illegal Bowling Action

On Day 2 of the Dominica Test, Kraigg Brathwaite’s performance did not delight Virat Kohli. He appeared to accuse the West Indies captain of throwing instead of bowling.

Virat Kohli with Jaiswal

Virat Kohli with Jaiswal

On Day 2 of the first Test in Dominica, India’s Virat Kohli struggled to find his groove against the West Indies. Kohli was only able to hit a boundary on the 81st delivery he faced. In the first innings, during which he remained unbeaten, Kohli expressed displeasure with West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite’s behavior. In fact, it’s said that he also complained about it to Yashasvi Jaiswal while being recorded on the stump mic.

Virat Kohli accuses Windies Star

Kohli was heard shouting on the stump mic, “Bhatta phenk raha hai,” which roughly translates to “he is throwing bricks,” according to a report in Wisden and a few other accounts. The implication was that Kohli accused Brathwaite of tossing because he wasn’t sure whether the Windies captain’s bowling motion was acceptable.

Not the right bowling action by Brathwaite: Virat Kohli

Brathwaite’s bowling technique has come under scrutiny before. In fact, Brathwaite’s behavior was brought up when India visited the West Indies in 2019. His activity was reported even in 2017, but the ICC found nothing improper on both occasions, indicating that it was within the permitted legal parameters.

Rule of the game

According to the law, for an action to be considered unlawful, “a bowler’s elbow extension should exceed 15 degrees, measured from the point at which the bowling arm reaches the horizontal until the point at which the ball is released.”

Also read: Record Breaking Performance Of Yashasvi In India Vs West Indies

It should be remembered that Kohli hasn’t formally informed the umpires of Brathwaite’s behavior. His criticism of the West Indies captain’s throwing solely seems to be directed at Yashasvi Jaiswal, his playing partner.

Even if an official report against Brathwaite hasn’t yet been filed, it’s feasible that one of the Indian squad members will do so throughout the course of the tour’s two Test matches.