Ponting slams 'disgraceful' Sydney crowd for booing Kohli

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has slammed Sydney crowd for booing India's Virat Kohli when he walked out to bat on the opening day of the fourth Test in Sydney on Thursday (3).

While Indian fans chanted his name, those supporting Australia booed Kohli.

"If it was booing then it's absolutely disgraceful," Ponting said on Channel 7. "I said that in the Perth Test as well. Show some respect," Ponting, who was booed by a section of English crowd during the 2009 Ashes tour, said.

"I don't like seeing it at all," Ponting told cricket.com.au when Kohli was first booed last month.

"It didn't worry me as a player when it happened in England a couple times. You've almost got to accept it as an acknowledgement for what you have done in the game. But I'd rather not see that happen at all.

"It'll be water off a duck's back (for Kohli), I'm sure. He's probably had worse things happen to him on a cricket field, I would have thought, than getting booed by a couple of spectators as he walks on."

The Indian skipper is no stranger to such reactions from fans. In fact, Kohli was booed by Edgbaston crowd during the first Test against England last year. During his first tour to Australia in 2011/12, Kohli was heckled by the crowd and he was fined 50 per cent match fee after he showed his middle finger to the crowd.

He has received similar treatment at home as well. Kohli was booed by an all-Indian crowd at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during an IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians.