It has been more than a decade, but the flashpoint from India’s tour of Australia in 2014 still lives vividly in cricketing folklore. During the fiercely contested Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a seemingly routine LBW appeal spiralled into a heated on-field confrontation involving some of the biggest names of modern cricket — Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and David Warner.
The incident unfolded when Rohit, then operating as a bowler, appealed loudly for an LBW after Steve Smith stepped across his stumps and used his pad to smother a straight delivery. While the appeal itself was standard fare in Test cricket, Smith’s reaction wasn’t. The Australian batter turned to the on-field umpire and expressed his displeasure, questioning the appeal and voicing his frustration.
That response didn’t sit well with Rohit Sharma. Clearly annoyed, he repeatedly asked Smith “What?” in disbelief, signalling that the appeal was well within the spirit of the game. Rohit felt Smith’s protest was unnecessary and distracting, especially in the middle of an intense Test match.
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Virat Kohli, captaining India in Tests for the first time and stationed at first slip, quickly stepped in. Never one to shy away from confrontation, Kohli took exception to Smith’s behaviour and exchanged sharp words with the Australian vice-captain. The situation escalated rapidly, with both players visibly animated, until David Warner rushed in to play the peacemaker and calm things down.
Rohit Sharma talking about the fight that happened with Steve Smith in Australia while he was bowling to him.😂🔥
bRO is such a funny character 😂
— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) December 17, 2025
Now, 11 years later, Rohit Sharma has finally shed light on what was said during that fiery exchange, offering fans a candid and humorous retelling.
“He padded a straight delivery, so I appealed to the umpire,” Rohit Sharma recalled. “He started complaining, so I told him, ‘Why are you questioning it? Do your batting, let the umpire do his job, and let me do mine.’”
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Rohit added that Warner soon joined the conversation, while Kohli, already fired up, made his presence felt from the slips. Cheteshwar Pujara also wandered in briefly, only to quietly walk away without saying a word — a moment Rohit reenacted with a grin, drawing laughter from those listening.
Although India narrowly lost that Test by 48 runs, the match marked a defining moment in Kohli’s captaincy journey. The Indian skipper responded in the best possible way, smashing twin centuries in a performance that set the tone for India’s aggressive new era in Test cricket.
