When it comes to playing against Australia, Virat Kohli always finds extra energy and motivation to score runs against them in the longest format of the game. Under his captaincy, India was able to capture their first Test series win down under during the 2018/19 summer before repeating the same in 2020/21.
Virat Kohli not only helps to score runs from the bat in hand but also manages to get over the skin of the Australian players with his string mindset, which is quite rare from an Indian player’s point of view.
The former Indian captain has smashed 2042 runs against the Pat Cummins-led side in 25 games at an average of 47.49 and a strike rate of over 50, with the help of five fifties and eight centuries thanks to a best score of 186 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
“No real battle between me and Virat Kohli”- Steve Smith
The former Australian captain Steve Smith was the captain of the 2014/15 home summer when they beat India for the last time in a Test series at home, missing the chance for two consecutive times since then, as he stands before the Blue Brigade like a rock.
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The New South Wales batter has addressed Virat Kohli as an Australian because of the action and thought process of the Delhi-born and how brutal he could be in getting into the mind of the opponent’s team.
“I believe Virat Kohli is an Australian in thoughts and action. The way he gets into the battle, the way he gets into the challenge, tries to get at the top of the opposition, so yeah, most Australian of the Indian players, I would say.” Steve Smith expressed during a recent conversation with ‘Star Sports’ looking at the upcoming five-match Test series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25.
The veteran admits that there is no such battle between him and Kohli, as both of them try to play and score as many as runs they can for the respective sides to help them register a victory.
Virat Kohli has collected 1352 runs in just 13 red-ball games in Australia at an average of 54.08 and a strike rate of 53.14 with the help of four half-centuries and six centuries, besides his best score of 169 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2014.
“There is no real (battle), like, oh I need to beat him or anything like that. It’s just about going out and playing and trying to score as many runs as I can and helping Australia have success.” Smith shaded light.
There was a point of time during the 2019 World Cup when the England crowd was booing Smith, and Kohli, present in the crease at that moment, asked the fans to clap for the batter, and that was the first sign of how strong the bond has been between these two former captains.
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“We got along quite well and shared messages now and again. Look, he is a great guy and a wonderful player. So, yeah, it will be nice to come up against him this summer.” The Sydney-born stated.
The 35-year-old loves batting against the Indian team, having smashed them for 2042 runs in 19 innings at an average of 65.87 and a strike rate of 52.51 with the help of nine centuries and five half-centuries with a best score of 192.
The opening game of the BGT 2024-25 will start on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth before they move to Adelaide for the day-night fixture.