"I've had two kids since you last scored a century" - Alex Lees reveals conversation with Virat Kohli during Edgbaston Test in 2022
England Test cricketer Alex Lees has revealed the sledge he dished out to Virat Kohli during the Edgbaston Test against India in 2022. The left-handed batter disclosed that he told Kohli about having two kids since the time he managed a hundred at the international level.
Kohli was going through a rough patch with the bat at the time, and hadn't scored a century since November 2019. The right-handed batter also experienced backlash from fans for trying to sledge England's Jonny Bairstow when the latter was batting. Bairstow cracked a century under pressure in the 1st innings of that match and netizens blamed Kohli for firing him up.
In his new book, Lees claimed that Kohli had been sledging him for quite a while and that he didn't want to keep taking it. Revealing his mindset in detail, Lees elaborated:
"He had been getting under people’s skin in the field when he was batting. I’m not fussed about someone’s position in the game. We are all equal out on the pitch. I just wasn’t going to put up with someone trying to intimidate me. It was as simple as that. He is an incredible player, but I thought he was just being a bit of an idiot."
He then turned to the 34-year-old and said:
"I’ve had two kids since you last scored a century."
The former Indian skipper had a forgettable game at Edgbaston, as he managed 11 and 20. India eventually lost the Test as England pulled off a record run-chase of 378.
"You can be competitive without losing your cool" - Alex Lees
Lees understands the pressure Kohli found himself under but felt he could've been competitive without being overly aggressive.
He added:
"He is only human, and I knew it must be playing on his mind and was the thing that would probably wind him up the most. Once I had spoken to him, he saw a bit of red mist, especially when we came out after tea. He is a competitor. He wants to win. I will never understand the weight of a billion people on my shoulders, but you can be competitive without losing your cool."
The Yorkshire batter might no longer be in favor of the selectors, but he made a pristine 56 to set the run-chase up for England.