A hard fought series against Australia came at the cost of friendship for Virat Kohli

Steve Smith’s behavior in the just-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy was nothing less than offensive. From calling Indian opener Murali Vijay a cheat and using cuss words for the opponents, Smith tainted his own image among Indian fans. And skipper Virat Kohli, who, before the start of the series had called the Australian his friends, made a bold statement when after the end of the series, he said that he would never consider the Aussies as his friends again.

At the end of the volatile series, which India won 2-1, an Australian journalist asked Kohli whether he still considered Smith’s men his friends Kohli’s answer was a no holds barred one. “No, it has changed for sure. I thought that was the case but it has changed for sure. As I said in the heat of the battle, you want to be competitive but yeah I have been proven wrong.

“The thing I said before the first Test, I have certainly been proven wrong and you won’t hear me say that ever again,” Kohli said.

A quick recap of the series can prove why Kohli’s statement is justified. Starting from the Bengaluru DRS controversy to Ranchi where Kohli’s injury was mocked, into Dharamsala where Matthew Wade and Smith were heard using cuss words for Ravindra Jadeja and Murali Vijay respectively, the visitors haven’t been able to control their emotions throughout the series.

But Smith, after losing the series, admitted to his wrongdoing and said that his passion to win was the reason why his emotions got the better of him. “At times I have been in my own bubble and have let my emotions slip. I apologise for that,” Smith said.

This was probably one of the most competitive series’ that India played at home in the recent years. It reminded the spectators of the fierce rivalry seen in the Ashes series where the battle is not just won on the field with cricket but in the mind.