Joe Burns, the former Australian batter currently leading Italy, recently recalled how his attempt to sledge Virat Kohli during the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy backfired. Burns played made his debut during the third game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Burns shared that he had planned to unsettle Kohli by encouraging him to play shots. However, Kohli, with a sharp reply, reminded Burns that he was debuting in the match.

“I’m pretty sure Virat scored a century that day. There was some light chirping going on—not sledging, just the usual with Hadzi (Brad Haddin) behind the stumps, Watto at first slip, and Nathan Lyon bowling. I was close, and I think I spoke once, telling him, ‘Virat, you’ve got to play some shots,’” Burns told Crictracker.

Realizing his mistake, Burns refrained from making more comments for the rest of the game.

“He stopped Nathan Lyon from bowling, turned to me and said, ‘You don’t talk, rookie.’ The next ball he hammered through the covers. It was embarrassing for me. I didn’t say a word for the next four days, but it definitely taught me that Virat was not someone you want to mess with,” Burns added.

Kohli went on to play a brilliant knock of 169 from 272 balls, including 18 fours. He also scored 54 in the second innings, helping India secure a draw.

Kohli’s exceptional form continued in the fourth Test in Sydney, where he scored another century. He accumulated a total of 692 runs from eight innings, at an average of 86.50 and four centuries in the series.