“It is in the best interests of the game to put these differences aside”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

India captain Virat Kohli and Australia skipper Steve Smith will meet with each other prior to the start of the third Test in Ranchi on March 16.

The move comes after Kohli voiced his anger towards Smith in the second Test in Bangalore after he appeared to look for guidance from the dressing room in regards to an lbw decision he was considering reviewing.

The rules clearly state that players are not seek help from the dressing room, but after the match, Smith insisted that he had a “brain fade”.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) opted not to take any action against Kohli or Smith, but with tempers having reached boiling point, a joint statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia confirmed that talks will be held in order to address “issues which have emanated during the course of the second Test in Bangalore”.

BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri and his Cricket Australia counterpart James Sutherland met in Mumbai on Thursday and “agreed the importance of bringing back the focus to the game”.

“A series between India and Australia is bound to generate considerable excitement for fans in both the countries,” Sutherland said. “On the field the two teams are fierce competitors who represent their countries with pride. As we have seen this week in Bangalore, with so much at stake, tensions can bubble over.

“We have agreed that it is in the best interests of the game to put these differences aside and clear the way for the focus to be on the cricket, and the remaining matches of the series.”