Later this year, the legendary Virat Kohli will travel to Australia for the sixth time as India plays a demanding five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The veteran Indian batsman has a great affinity for playing against Australia, as seen by his 2042 runs at an average of 47.49 from 25 Test matches. This is the most runs that Kohli has ever scored against any country that plays test cricket; his second-best total, 1991 runs from 28 Tests at 42.36, came against England. India won both of the last two tours to Australia that Kohli took part in. While Kohli had to come home after only one game in the 2020–21 series, he guided India to their first-ever Test series victory in Australia in 2018–19. Ajinkya Rahane filled in admirably.
After three years, the situation has changed. Rahane has left the Indian Test team, and Kohli is no longer the captain. Since taking over, Rohit Sharma has given India a chance at immortality by leading the team to three series victories in Australia, an accomplishment that would have been laughed at ten years ago. Thirteen years ago, during his inaugural series in Australia, Kohli achieved his first Test century, sparking his passion for the country. He amassed seven hundreds against the Australians over the course of the next 21 Test matches, including a once-in-a-lifetime twin ton in Adelaide, but he also developed a love-hate relationship with the Australian supporters.
Is this going to be Kohli’s final Test journey to Australia? Maybe not; he’s 35 years old. Nevertheless, former Australian great Geoff Lawson believes Kohli should anticipate a mixed response from the audience regardless of whether this is his final bow. What does it matter if he resigned as captain of India? Kohli’s fire remains unquenchable. Australia will never forget the image of a brazen Kohli flipping the fans in 2012, and his erratic relationship with the crowd has only deepened the drama over time.
“Virat Kohli will play the faux villain to Jasprit Bumrah’s likeable nature. Bumrah has the fast bowlers privilege of [spending] half a life at fine leg which gives him the ideal chance to interact with the crowd, winning smiles and hearts while Kohli will lurk in the infield appealing vociferously, fielding magnificently and engaging verbally with any Australian player so inclined to conversation, and there will be one or two of those,” Lawson told Mid-day.
“Aussie crowds love a competitor like Kohli, they may give him some grief if he plays the antagonist but you can guarantee that if he makes 50s and 100s he will be loudly applauded by the fans. He has shown a liking for Australian conditions ever since his first tour 13 years ago. Bounce and pace suited his two-footed game but the question in 2024 is whether he still has the razor sharpness to best Australia’s attack on their home surfaces. I wouldn’t count him out.”
With the exception of the 2011–12 series, Australia has a better head–to–head Test record versus India, but otherwise, their series has been very tightly matched. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which bears the names of both countries’ greatest cricket players, Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border, has really belonged to India since they won it from Australia 2-1 at home in 2017. Since then, three separate Test series between Australia and India have taken place, but the outcome has remained the same. Lawson, on the other hand, feels that the BGT has been in India for far too long and is eager to return the trophy home.
“Pat Cummins has a strong sense of competition despite his frequent smiles. Certain Australian players have been quoted as having unfinished business, implying that they have an unwavering mentality. It’s time to return the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to the trophy shelves in Jolimont, Cricket Australia’s headquarters in Victoria, after it was lent to the BCCI for ten years. Australia may be the World Test Champions, but the title is shaky unless they win a home series against India, said Lawson, who represented Australia in 46 Test matches and 79 One-Day Internationals between 1980 and 1989.
