Virat Kohli has gained notoriety in the realm of cricket by conquering the best bowling attacks from around the world. Malinga from Sri Lanka, Steyn from South Africa, Anderson from England, and the Australian triumvirate of Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc have all been subjugated by Kohli’s batting.
Notably, Kohli has had particular success against the Australians; in 20 Tests and 36 innings, he has amassed 1,682 runs versus the Aussies with an average of 48.05, with seven centuries and five fifties, culminating in a highest score of 169. There is a great demand to witness Kohli and the Australian bowlers battle it out in red-ball cricket more often.
Kohli’s most outstanding performances have been witnessed against Australia on their home turf. When greats such as Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid found it difficult to outplay James Pattison, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon Starc and Ben Hilfenhaus, a 23-year-old from Delhi emerged and became the only Indian player to earn over 300 runs in the 2011-12 tour of Down Under, which saw India lose the Test series by 4-0.
His valiant 116 at Adelaide in the third Test was spectacular, as the venue has been a favourite of his. At the legendary ground, Kohli has accumulated 509 runs in eight innings, with a 63.62 average, three centuries and one fifty, with a personal best of 141. He also reached a half-century during the series.
During India’s 2012-13 BGT series at home, Kohli’s performance took a backseat when compared to opener Murali Vijay (430 runs) and middle-order batter Cheteshwar Pujara (419 runs) as they achieved the highest batting rankings. Even though he scored 284 runs in four matches, six innings at an average of 56.80, his knocks of 107 and 67 made up for his otherwise average performance. However, during Australia’s next visit to India in 2016-17, Kohli’s batting was far from impressive, with a total of only 46 runs in five innings at an average of 9.20 and a highest score of 15.
Virat Kohli was a powerful force against the Aussies when they played in their home country during the 2014-15 series. His efforts resulted in two draws for India. This series solidified his reputation as the captain to be taken seriously after MS Dhoni retired from the longer format following the third Test. During the series, he scored 692 runs in four matches, over eight innings, giving him an average of 86.50 and four centuries and one fifty, with his highest score being 169.
In the 2018-19 BGT, Virat did not perform as well as usual. Yet, he shone in Perth, when the Indian team was struggling against the master spinner, Lyon. His 123 in 257 balls provided a brief respite for the team. Even though India eventually lost by 146 runs, Kohli’s century will be remembered as one of his greatest feats.
When the Australians arrive in India once again, they may be confident due to Kohli’s lacklustre record against them in his home country, which stands at 330 runs from seven matches and eleven innings, with an average of 33.00, and only one century and one half-century scored against them in the longer format.
