Not worried by Virat Kohli's verbal spats with Australians: BCCI

Virat Kohli has been involved in heated confrontations right through the series

With Virat Kohli set to take over the mantle of Indian Test captain from MS Dhoni, there have been valid concerns raised regarding Kohli losing his cool and engaging in verbal altercations with a number of Australian players right through the ongoing Test series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), though, doesn’t seem overly worried, with secretary Sanjay Patel saying that he has no issues with the 26-year-old’s behaviour on the tour and that he has merely reacted to the sledging of the Australian players.

"Sledging is a part and parcel of the Australian team. Virat's sledging is the reaction and not the action. Why he didn't do it in England, South Africa or even at home? Sledging is creation of Australia. It is not a great concern,” he said.

"Virat is a young boy, who will answer the questions that are been asked of him. He is not a boy who will take it (quietly), but at the same time he will learn."

India hasn’t won a single Test series away from home since beating the West Indies in 2011, winning just two of their last 23 Tests abroad.

Although Patel acknowledged the horrible run of form India have endured overseas in recent years, he said that he is confident of the team turning around their fortunes in the near future. With Dhoni’s Test retirement, the most experienced player in the current side is Ishant Sharma, who has played a total of 61 Tests.

"Every series loss is a concern but we have a young group of boys. We are confident that we will do well in the coming year. They have shown the promise, and it's just a matter of experience. I'm sure under Kohli's captaincy, this team will do well," the BCCI secretary concluded.