Dharamsala, Sep 14: India captain Virat Kohli has learnt "his lesson" the hard way after an innocuous tweet of his sparked rumours of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's international retirement in a social media frenzy.

On Thursday, Kohli had tweeted a picture of him sitting on his hunches after beating Australia in a league game of the 2016 World T20 in Mohali. Kohli scored 82 not out on that night but his running between the wickets with Dhoni (18 not out) was a treat to watch for everyone.

"A game I can never forget. Special night. This man, made me run like in a fitness test," Kohli had tweeted. It led to rumour mills going overdrive till chairman of selectors MSK Prasad termed it as a "false news".

On Saturday, when Kohli was asked what was on his mind when he tweeted, the smiling skipper replied: "Mere zehen mein kuch naahi thaa yaar (I had nothing in my mind). I was sitting at home and I normally put out a photograph and it became a news item."

Social media can be a different beast for celebrities and Kohli once again got a bitter taste of it.

"I think it was a lesson for me, that the way I think, the whole world does not think that way. There was nothing in farthest stretch of my imagination (that it could be taken as retirement tribute) while putting that picture out on social media," the skipper said.

For him, the T20 International against Australia was one match he has not really talked about much in last three years unlike his other knocks.

"Like what did I write. I remember that game even now, every now and then. I never spoke about that game and so I thought I put up a post. Now people interpreted it in a different manner in which there was not even an iota of truth," said the disappointed skipper.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Manchester, Jul 27 (PTI): Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja extended India’s fight on day five of the fourth Test with determined half-centuries, giving the visitors a slender 11-run lead at tea time but more importantly raising visions of a morale boosting draw.

Both Jadeja (53 batting off 102) and Washington (58 batting off 139) batted with a strong purpose to save the game, frustrating a worn out England attack.

At tea, India were 322 for four after collecting 99 runs from a wicketless afternoon session.

Ben Stokes, who looked lethal in his eight over spell in the morning, could not keep up the intensity in the three overs he bowled in the second session.

In a 15-run over from Stokes, Washington pulled the England captain for a six and four to bring up his fifty before Jadeja employed the cut to complete his fifth half-century in six innings.

With not much batting to come and Rishabh Pant injured, it remains to be seen if India can pull off a draw from here.

What made England’s life difficult is that left-arm spinner Liam Dawson (0/70 in 39 overs) was not able to challenge the Indian left-handers enough while Jofra Archer too get could not get a breakthrough post lunch.

The second new ball is now 38 overs old, making batting easier.

In the morning session, Shubman Gill completed a gutsy hundred after Stokes battled through pain to dismiss a well set K L Rahul, leaving India at 223 for four at lunch.

Resuming the day at 174 for two with a deficit of 137, India remained on course to draw the game courtesy a fighting effort from Gill, who brought up his fourth century of the series. The Indian captain fell at the stroke of lunch with the visitors still trailing England by 88 runs.

Considering India’s backs against the walls and series on the line, this could be Gill’s most defining century if India managed to save the match and keep the series alive.

Expecting the ball to come back in, Gill felt for the one from Jofra Archer that shaped away, getting a faint outside edge.

The 188-run marathon stand between Gill and Rahul (90 off 230) was finally broken when the latter was trapped in front by Stokes with a ball that kept a tad low from length.

Soon after, Stokes got one jump to sharply from a similar length that foxed Rahul, leaving the Indian skipper in a lot of pain.

The rising ball first crashed into Gill’s right thumb before taking a piece of his

helmet.

It was remarkable that Stokes, who was not fit enough to bowl on day four, managed an eight-over spell on day five despite discomfort in his right shoulder and hamstring. Like at Lord’s, he did not care much about his injury prone body to help the team’s cause.

The new ball was taken after the 80th over and resulted in the wicket of Gill. Jadeja too would have be gone first ball but Joe Root could not hold on to a tough chance at first slip off Archer.

Brief scores:

India: 358 and 322/4 in 118 overs (KL Rahul 90, Shubman Gill 103, Ravindra Jadeja 53 batting, Washington Sundar 57 batting; Chris Woakes 2/57)

England 1st innings: 669 all out in 157.1 overs (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 141, Ben Duckett 94, Zak Crawley 84; Ravindra Jadeja 4/143).