India and Australia are set to face each other in a four-match Test series starting with a first-ever Day-Night encounter between the teams from December 17 onwards at the Adelaide Oval Stadium. Ahead of the start of the series, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith sat down to have a chat with each other where the two cricketers discussed the incident at the 2019 World Cup when the Indian skipper asked fans to stop booing the Australian.┬аVirat KohliтАЩs Spirit of Cricket Act Won Hearts After Crowd Booed Steve Smith During India vs Australia Match in ICC World Cup 2019.

In the clash between India and Australia at the 2019 Cricket World Cup, a particular incident grabbed everyoneтАЩs attention when a section of fans booed Steve Smith as the Australian returned to the cricketing field following the competition of his one-year ban. The cricketer along with Cameron Bancroft and David Warner were suspended from all cricketing activities due to a ball-tampering incident against South Africa in 2018.

However, Virat Kohli stood up and asked fans to show some respect and refrain from such actions. This gesture by Kohli was also awarded the 'Spirit of Cricket' Award earlier this year. The Indian skipper now, in a conversation with Steve Smith elaborated the reason behind his actions as he felt that it тАШwasnтАЩt right to target an individual personallyтАЩ.

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тАШYou came back after a long time. Having gone through everything that you had gone through. I feel that nothing in life can be that permanent. I felt it was not fair to target an individual personally. As much as you play against each other, there is a human side to it,тАЩ said the Indian skipper.

тАШYou are competitive on the field. You donтАЩt want to go nasty as well. That is one of the things I realised, long term like you do realise the importance of things at a larger perspective and I felt that was not right to do at that point in time.тАЩ Virat Kohli added.

Steve Smith and Virat Kohli will meet each other once again on the field during the first Test match at Adelaide starting from December 17. There were doubt over the AustralianтАЩs fitness due to back problems but he is expected to start. Meanwhile, the Day-Nigh clash will be the Indian skipperтАЩs last on the tour as he will be returning back to India to attend the birth of his child.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 16, 2020 09:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).