India vs Australia: Virat Kohli hits back at Nathan Lyon's 'head of snake' remark

Bengaluru: Virat Kohli hit back at Australia spinner Nathan Lyon, who had described the India captain as the “head of the snake”, saying that Team India is a serpent that “can sting from any direction”.

Kohli, who has shown outstanding form in the home Test series against New Zealand, England, and Bangladesh, has been found wanting in the first two Tests against Australia. His average in the nine Tests against New Zealand, England and Bangladesh was 86.14, while his average for the first two Tests against Australia has been a paltry 10.

Lyon, who got Kohli’s wicket in the first innings of the Bengaluru Test, had earlier made a remark, terming the Team India skipper as the “head of the snake”.

"Everybody wants to compete against the best and he (Kohli) is one of the best players in the world. He is obviously the head of the snake if you want to put it in Dale Steyn's terms. So it's quite pleasing to take Kohli's wicket," he had said.

However, when asked about Lyon’s comments, Kohli hit back, saying that Team India is a snake that can bite from all directions.

"Talking about the head of the snake, the head did pretty well. It is not just about one individual here. This snake can sting from any direction. Some people need to keep that in mind," said Kohli.

The India captain went on to explain that he had told his teammates not to solely rely on him to give them a head-start.

"Our opponents used to think that once I get out, the team will be under pressure. I told the team that everyone has to perform," he said.

In fact, Kohli said that he devised a plan to soak-up all the pressure himself, in order to help his teammates perform with a free mind. He said, "Our plan was that the focus should be on the team's performance and let opponents focus on me. This is what exactly happened in this Test match."