By: Sarwar Alam
Indian captain Virat Kohli said on Friday his side have “moved on” from the controversy over an overturned decision during the third Test defeat to South Africa, to lose the series 2-1, at Newlands.
Kohli, 33, and two team-mates were caught on the stump microphone complaining after home captain Dean Elgar survived on review after being given out leg before wicket at a crucial stage on the third afternoon.
“I have no comment to make,” he told a press conference after the seven wicket defeat in Cape Town.
“We understood what happened on the field and people on the outside don’t know if we had picked up three wickets there that probably would have been the moment that changed the game.”
Vice-captain KL Rahul and bowler Ravichandran Ashwin were also heard on the microphone.
“The reality of the situation is that we did not apply enough pressure on them for longer periods of time,” said Kohli.
“That one moment seems very nice and very exciting to make a controversy out of but honestly I am not interested in making a controversy.
“It was just a moment that passed and we moved on from it and we kept focusing on the game and tried to pick up wickets.”
Host broadcaster SuperSport meanwhile said it had no control over the Decision Review System (DRS) used in the series.
“SuperSport notes comments made by certain members of the Indian cricket team,” it told AFP.
“Hawk-Eye is an independent service provider, approved by the ICC and their technology has been accepted for many years as an integral part of DRS.
“SuperSport does not have any control over the Hawk-Eye technology.”
There has been no indication yet from match referee Andy Pycroft and the International Cricket Council whether any disciplinary action will be taken against Kohli, Rahul and Ashwin for their role in the incident.
