Virat Kohli shares a special bond with Australia. The moment he landed in the country on Wednesday, he tweeted on how he loved the vibe here. In fact, Kohli shares a love-hate relationship with Australia. The crowd there love to hate him and he didn’t do them any favours when he flashed his middle-finger to them and worse that was caught on camera.
Here began his transformation from a gifted young batsman to a leader of men. In 2012, at Adelaide Oval, Kohli, then 23, scored his maiden Test hundred to help India salvage some pride in a disastrous tour. Few weeks later, the unbelievable 133 not out from 86 balls followed. In a do-or-die One-Day International (ODI), Kohli’s knock against Sri Lanka helped India chase down 321 in the 37th over. His exploits Down Under fast tracked his climb to being the vice-captain of the national side.
A circle seemed complete when in the 2014-15 tour, Kohli made a mark in the country as India’s stand-in Test captain. While he won many hearts with his gallant hundreds at Adelaide, to the Australian media he successfully maintained the image of the problem child who ‘refuses to grow up.’ However with 692 runs from four Tests, he ensured that his feats with the willow will be the primary talking point. The honeymoon continued when he scored a match-defining century in India’s opening game against Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
A month later, India squared off against Australia in the semi-final at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) where Kohli got outfoxed by Mitchell Johnson, and that dismissal went on to be severely criticised as India’s reign as world champions came to an end. While Kohli does boast of impressive Australian entries in his CV, his show against the country at their own den has been overtly disappointing.
Virat Kohli’s ODI record vs Australia, in Australia
| M | R | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
| 7 | 95 | 31 | 15.83 | 62.50 | 0 | 0 |
Now let’s see how that compares to his ODI performances in Australia (including other teams), overall record against Australia and overall ODI career.
Virat Kohli’s ODI record in Australia
| M | R | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
| 18 | 620 | 133* | 41.33 | 84.01 | 2 | 2 |
Virat Kohli’s ODI record against Australia
| M | R | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
| 18 | 621 | 118 | 47.76 | 96.72 | 3 | 2 |
Virat Kohli’s overall ODI record
| M | R | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
| 166 | 6,831 | 183 | 50.60 | 89.50 | 23 | 34 |
This is the first time India are playing a bilateral ODI series in Australia. Historically, Australia have clearly held an upper hand, winning 68 and losing 48 against India. In Australia, the hosts have won 31 and lost 10 against India. Odds are stacked heavily in favour of Australia, who also are the world champions.
The above numbers stand a testimony to the fact that how good a player Kohli is and how dismal he has been against Australia at their backyard. Kohli is the backbone of India’s batting and the side will look up to his performances in order to win.
The advantage
The numbers and history are only indicative, what matters is on the given how the teams fare on the greens. The reality that Australia face is that they will be without their leading pacer Mitchell Starc. The left-armer, currently ranked No. 1 ODI bowler, is out of action due to an injury. With Mitchell Johnson retired, the attack will be led by young Josh Hazlewood. He too will be taken off the bowling attack after the first two ODIs. With Kane Richardson, Joel Paris and Scott Boland in the ranks, the lack of experience in the Australian pace arsenal will be something the Kohli-led Indian batting will look forward to take advantage of. ALSO READ: Squads picked up with an eye on the broader picture — ICC World T20 2016
In recent times, conditions have been brilliant for batting in Australia. Kohli copes with the bounce pretty well and the last international game played at Perth, the venue for the first ODI, was in November when Ross Taylor scored the epic 290 following David Warner’s 253. The match saw a total of 1,672 runs being amassed.
A lot of cricket is played in the minds. Kohli should look to unsettle the young bowlers with his mastery. The ebb in their confidence can swing tides in India’s favour. But then historically newcomers (from Brett Lee to Mustafizur Rahman) have found a way to trouble India.
After a few prolific seasons, Kohli had a much quieter 2015 and adding to that his record against Australia at their den is far from impressive. The 27-year-old loves challenges and Australia presents you with many. India’s vice-captain seems relaxed and rejuvenated after leading the Test side to a sensational series win against South Africa last month.
India have been found wanting in the shorter formats in recent times. Here’s a right opportunity for Kohli to turn the tables around and stamp his class — in turn extending his interesting relationship with the nation Down Under.
(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)
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