Regardless of the venue or stage Virat Kohli is renowned for his batting statistics across different formats against Australian team. As India prepares for the highly anticipated World Test Championship final against the Pat Cummins-led side at The Oval, Kohli revealed that the competitiveness and high skill level of the Australian team brings out the best in him.
Australia bringing the best out of Kohli
In the 24 Test matches he has played against Australia, Kohli has amassed 1979 runs at an impressive average of 48.26, including eight centuries and five fifties. His run and century tally against Australia is the highest against any opposition, while his average ranks as the third-best (minimum 10 matches against a team), trailing only South Africa (56.18) and Sri Lanka (67.81). In his overall international career, he has accumulated 16 centuries and 24 fifties against Australia in 92 matches.
Speaking to Star Sports ahead of the World Test Championship Final, Kohli expressed his admiration for the Australian team's competitiveness and acknowledged that it brings out the best in him as a player.
"Australian team is a very competitive side that if you give them even a small window, they will come very hard at you and capitalise. Their skill set is really high. That is the reason my motivation increases even more and I had to take my game to the next level against them. I have to rise and elevate my game against Australia to beat them."
Need to assess conditions well
Sharing his insights, the former captain of the Indian cricket team also provided his perspective on the conditions at The Oval and shed light on the most challenging aspect of batting in England.
"We would not get a flat wicket, and batters need to be cautious. We need more focus and have to adapt to the situation and conditions. We will need more focus and discipline while batting," Kohli said. "The toughest part about in seaming and swing conditions in England is about choosing the ball you need to hit, defend or leave. Playing with solid technique is important. The balance is very important while batting."
Winning back to back away series has earned India respect
Speaking about the fierce rivalry between India and Australia, the 33-year-old cricketer expressed his views on the subject. He mentioned that following India's victorious performances in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 Test series Down Under, there has been a notable shift in the Australian team's attitude towards the Indian side, characterised by a great deal of respect.
"The rivalry between India and Australia, in the early days, used to be a lot intense. There used to be a tense environment. But after we won two series in Australia, the rivalry has turned into respect. We can't be taken lightly as a Test team. We can see the respect the oppositions have for us. They expect us to give a close fight even in their conditions. We can't be taken lightly anymore," Kohli said.
"There used to be tension in the air in the past. But that's not there now. You have your presence now, there's standing on level terms now," he added.
