‘He’s been a killer against Australia’: Virat Kohli’s rousing entry, gigantic reputation made Cummins, Lyon, Smith sweat

by Admin
May 24, 2024

Australian cricketers Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland and Steve Smith were afraid Virat Kohli would snatch the World Test Championship final for India when the two teams met The Oval last June. Chasing 444 to win, India were 164/3 at stumps on Day 4, needing another 280 to win their first ICC trophy in 10 years, with Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane approaching their fifties. But despite showing why India were the No. 1 team in the WTC table by challenging Australia on Day 3 and 4, the Aussies were the superior side on the final day. Scott Boland dismissed Kohli for 49, and Mitchell Starc had Rahane caught behind, extinguishing the hopes of a miraculous comeback.

Pat Cummins (L) and Virat Kohli during last year’s World Test Championship final(Getty)

For the longest time, Australia kept their foot on the pedal but were aware of the threat Kohli could pose. He had done it in the past, and carrying the moniker of the chase-master, the platform was set for Kohli to pull off one for the ages, but Boland and Lyon ran through the batting line-up to bowl India out for 234 and win the Test by 209 runs to clinch their maiden WTC title.

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Here is what Cummins, Lyon, Boland and others had to say about Kohli on the third season of ‘The Test’, a popular cricket documentary series on Amazon Prime Video that provides an inside look into the Australian cricket team.

Pat Cummins: “Virat Kohli is the one guy who can chase it down in the fourth innings.”

Steve Smith: “If you look at people chasing the total, Virat Kohli is up there with the best, if not the best.”

Justin Langer: “He’s been a killer against Australia.”

Nathan Lyon: “He is super competitive and doesn’t give you an inch. No one comes close to him.”

Ravi Shastri: “When he comes out to bat, Virat makes people around the globe, even the opposition stands up and look. They might not like it but they’ll watch.”

Scott Boland: “Going into that last day, we still thought that if they got on a roll, Kohli could still pull off that chase.”

Virat Kohli’s stellar record against Australia

As Langer rightfully mentioned, Kohli has relished batting against Australia. In 25 Tests, he has scored 2042 runs against the reining WTC winners at an average of 47.49, including eight centuries and five fifties. In fact, it’s the most runs Kohli has scored against any opponent in Test, with England being second best with 1991 runs from 25 matches. Who can forget the 2014/15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the tour that made Kohli what he is today.

Three years after he scored his maiden Test century – also against Australia – at Perth, Kohli achieved as many call it ‘batting nirvana’ when he blasted 692 runs in the four-Test series, with four centuries, including the twin hundreds he peeled off in Adelaide. It was the last time that the BGT remained with Australia. Kohli’s Australian juggernaut continued four years later, when India registered their maiden Test series win Down Under under him.

Later this year, Kohli will embark on his fifth tour of Australia and quite possibly his last.