‘He was being a bit of an idiot’ – English batter Alex Lees recalls Virat Kohli’s sledging from 2022 Birmingham Test

Former India captain Virat Kohli is known for his aggression on the field. As the fire inside Kohli burns when someone sledges him, he sometimes uses the same technique to knock down opponents. Meanwhile, England Test cricketer Alex Lees has now revealed an incident of Kohli’s sledging, which made him feel that the star cricketer acted out like a “bit of an idiot”.

Already trailing the five-match series 1-2, England was desperate to win the series decider in July 2022 at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium. Having already taken a 132-run first-innings lead, India added 245 runs more in the second phase. However, the hosts pulled off a sensational run chase in the final two days to level the series.

Lees, who was playing only the sixth Test of his career, gave a ‘bazball’ start for the team while adding a 107-run partnership with Zak Crawley. Later, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root capitalised on the start and took the team over the line, with both scoring centuries. Notably, Bairstow had scored a century in the first innings as well. This was one of those instances where Kohli got treated to his own medicine. Bairstow’s innings got off to a cautious start, but the right-hander switched gears and scored a brilliant century after Kohli tried to sledge him.

We are all equal out on the pitch: Alex Lees

In the book, ‘BazBall: The Inside Story of a Test Cricket Revolution’, Lees revealed that Kohli was constantly trying to get “under people’s skin”. The 30-year-old elaborated:

“Kohli was carrying on for quite a while. He was just carrying on in a fashion he can do sometimes. He had been getting under people’s skin in the field when he was batting. I’m not fussed about someone’s position in the game. We are all equal out on the pitch. I just wasn’t going to put up with someone trying to intimidate me. It was as simple as that. He is an incredible player, but I thought he was just being a bit of an idiot.”

The Yorkshire batter added that he couldn’t hold back much as he responded with a cheeky comment aimed at Kohli’s poor form. “I’ve had two kids since you last scored a century,” Lees had told Kohli.

Lees’ comments were in reference to Kohli’s worst patch of nearly three years. The 34-year-old also had a dismal outing at Edgbaston as he managed just 11 and 20. However, the right-hander found his rhythm with a century against Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup. Now back in business, he has once again become a nightmare for bowlers.