virat kohli is in the news again for his kind act towards steve smith after the Australian batsman matched the records of Gavaskar and Lara at the MCG.

While kohli initially drew attention for negative reasons at the start of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, he began Day 2 on a positive note. Following a wave of criticism from fans and former players for his shoulder contact with 19-year-old Australian debutant sam Konstas, kohli displayed a commendable gesture for Australia’s star player, steve smith, on Friday. As Smith hit nitish kumar Reddy through the covers for a boundary to secure his 34th Test century, kohli began clapping immediately. He took a moment to let Smith enjoy the crowd's appreciation before walking over and giving him a supportive pat on the back.

kohli and Smith share a long history, having started their careers in the U19 world cup in malaysia back in 2008, and their camaraderie has only strengthened over the years. kohli previously earned the ICC Fair Play award in 2019 for his encouragement of the crowd to refrain from booing Smith. Conversely, Smith has consistently regarded kohli as one of the most exceptional all-format players in cricket history.

kohli, who data-faced a 20% fine and a demerit point for violating the ICC's Code of Conduct, wasn't the only one congratulating Smith, who leveled with sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Younis Khan, and Mahela Jayawardene with his 34th Test century. KL rahul was also seen applauding Smith’s innings.

Smith surpassed kohli to become the batsman with the most centuries in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, achieving his 11th Test century against india, which is also the highest recorded by any player. The former australia captain, who marked his return to form with a century in the third Test in Brisbane, continued to shine at the MCG, where he scored his fifth Test century.

Unfortunately, Smith was dismissed for 140 after charging down the pitch and inadvertently deflecting the ball onto his pads, which then ricocheted back onto the stumps. Nonetheless, his impressive performance helped australia secure a strong first innings total of 474 after opting to bat first in the crucial fourth Test of the series.

In response, india data-faced challenges with captain rohit sharma being dismissed early, and Pat Cummins bowled an exceptional delivery to clean bowl KL rahul just before Tea, putting the indian side under significant pressure.