Virat Kohli, Steve Smith square off in verbal clash

Tensions flared in a gripping opening hour of day two of the second Test, with rival skippers Steve Smith and Virat Kohli sharing a heated chat for several overs.

Smith and Kohli were at it as soon as the Australian came to the crease at the loss of vice-captain David Warner, and it didn’t take long for the two best batsmen in the world to start playing a few verbal shots, reports cricket.com.au

The exchange started in the 22nd over when Ravi Ashwin was blocked by non-striker Matthew Renshaw from preventing Smith to get off the mark with a single down to long-on.

Ashwin and Kohli let their feelings known to the 20-year-old before Smith and the umpire Nigel Llong stepped in to cool the situation, until Kohli and Smith came together.

"Virat Kohli and Steve Smith are going at it. Between overs Virat was into Steve Smith. It looks like Smith is going back as well," said former captain Michael Clarke on Star Sports.

Smith was more animated than a Pixar film during his first 26 balls at the crease, each leave followed by a vigorous swing of the bat towards the bowler and thunderous call of “no”.

It got the point where fast bowler Ishant Sharma started mocking the visiting captain, to which Smith just replied with a wobble of the head.