'YouTube it': Kohli hits back at Healy

Virat Kohli has fired back at criticism from former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy, who earlier this week said he was losing respect for the Indian captain.

Quick Single: Combative Kohli losing Healy's respect

Healy told a Melbourne radio station on Monday that Kohli's combative nature, which was on full display during the second Test in Bengaluru, was hurting the Indian side.

When Kohli was asked about Healy's comments during an incendiary press conference following India's series-levelling victory on Tuesday, the skipper quipped that "we've got 1.2 billion people in India, one person doesn't make a difference to my life".

He then continued by referencing an incident from nearly two decades ago, when Healy was banned for showing dissent during a Test match in South Africa.

"I think you should go and search on YouTube when he was given out in Centurion down the leg side," Kohli said of the incident during Australia's third Test against the Proteas in 1997, which led to the Aussie copping a two-game suspension.

"I heard he said something about me not having good behaviour with the umpires.

"You all should YouTube that video and I think that says it all."

Healy had said that Kohli's behaviour towards Australian captain Steve Smith on the second day of the Bengaluru Test was "unacceptable".

"The pressure is starting to tell on (Kohli)," the 119-Test veteran told SEN.

"He's not only now continuing his disrespect of the Australian players and umpires, but I think he's putting pressure on his own players now.

"I've said in the past, he's the best batsman I've ever seen. His feistiness and real aggression towards the opposition has been good (in the past), especially when he wasn't captain.

"It would lead his team with him. They're more timid than they look and they let on, the Indian cricketers.

"So Kohli's aggression was good for them. But I think it's not good for them anymore.

"He's got to be a lot more respectful of his opponents. The stuff he did with Steve Smith was unacceptable."

Kohli also took exception to comments from Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon after day one in Bengaluru, when the off-spinner discussed the importance of dismissing India's captain.

"He is obviously the head of the snake if you want to put it in Dale Steyn's terms," Lyon said, referencing the South African spearhead's famous pre-series comments before their tour of Australia over the summer.

Kohli, who has made only 40 runs in four innings so far in this series, quipped the "snake did pretty well by itself" in the second Test.

"It's not about one individual here, if they keep focusing on the head of the snake then the snake can sting from a lot of directions," he said.

"Some people need to keep that in mind.

"It was a quite emotional game for us, quite draining ... but by far the sweetest victory for us."

The fiery series continues in Ranchi on March 16.

Test Squads

India (for first two Tests): Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund, Hardik Pandya.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade

Australia's schedule in India

Feb 23-27, First Test, Pune

Mar 4-8, Second Test, Bengaluru

Mar 16-20, Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29, Fourth Test, Dharamsala