‘Itna middle kaise lagta hai isme’ – Steve Smith checks out Virat Kohli’s bat during fourth BGT Test in Ahmedabad

India and Australia are in action in the fourth and final Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series Test. India lead the series 2-1 after registering dominant wins in the first two Tests played in Nagpur and Delhi. However, they come into the decisive game after suffering a comprehensive loss in Indore.

A lot is riding on this final Test of the series. Firstly, India can cement a position in the final of the Test Championships to be played at the Oval from 7 to 11 June 2023. Secondly, India are on the hunt for a third-straight Test series win against Australia, having won the last two BGT series in Australia. On the other hand, the visitors would want to avoid the embarrassment of losing three consecutive Border-Gavaskar Test series. However, India have at least completed their first objective, having retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with an unassailable 2-1 lead.

India close out Day 3 at 289/3

During the final session on Day 3, when Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja were out on the crease for India, Steve Smith decided to check out Kohli’s bat during a drinks break. Photos and videos of the incident went viral online, and naturally, fans reacted to the two star batters engaging in a friendly exchange of words.

Speaking of the Day, India closes out at 289/3 at the stumps, still, 191 runs behind Australia’s first-innings total. Shubman Gill remained the uncontested star of the Day, knocking 128 off 235. Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja are out on the crease for the hosts, scoring 59* off 128 and 16* off 54, respectively. For Australia, the three spinners- Nathan Lyon, Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy have all struck once. Surprisingly, their pacers have not yet contributed to the game.

If India fails to win the final Test, they’ll have to wait for the results of the ongoing Test series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. If Sri Lanka fails to win the series, India can still qualify for the Test Championship final of the 2021-23 cycle.

Here’s how fans reacted to Steve Smith and Virat Kohli’s friendly exchange: