Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar on Wednesday warned the South African cricketers against sledging Virat Kohli during the ongoing second Test at the Newlands in Cape Town.
Gavaskar was in his commentary stint for host broadcaster Star Sports when he made the comment after Nandre Burger bowled a ball to Kohli, who defended it with a straight bat.
The ball came back to Burger, who threatened to throw the ball back towards the stumps behind the batter before giving Kohli an angry stare.
Kohli did not react to it but Gavaskar issued a warning to the Proteas as the star Indian batter thrives on such aggression from the opposition.
Kohli feeds off such incidents and it makes him more determined to score runs in big numbers.
"Now you can say the battle lines are draw. But Virat Kohli is the wrong man to do your aggression," Gavaskar was heard saying on air.
Never sledge Virat Kohli
Notably, former Australia captain Tim Paine had advised his teammates against sledging or engaging with Kohli when he's batting in the middle during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Test series Down Under.
Kohli likes a tough challenge when he's batting and just switches himself to another level when he's sledged on the field by the opposition players.
And Gavaskar's warning came at a time when India had already taken the lead over South Africa in their first innings on Day 1 of the second and final Test.
Kohli responded to Burger's gesture by smacking three boundaries off the next few deliveries he faced.
India on top in Cape Town
India bowled out the Proteas for a paltry total of 55 after being asked to bowl first. Mohammed Siraj ripped apart the South African batting lineup with his maiden six-wicket haul in Tests while Jasprit Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar grabbed a couple of scalps each for Team India.
India then lost the wicket of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal early before Rohit Sharma (39) and Shubman Gill joined forces to add 55 runs for the second wicket which took the visitors past the Proteas.
Rohit then got out to a vicious bouncer from Nandre Burger, who also sent back Gill for 36 in the second session.
