Australia v India. Cummins v Sharma. Bumrah v Smith. Number one versus number two. Five Tests. The ultimate battle.
Many will lay claim to ‘The Ashes’ being the highest calibre series in the longest format’s packed calendar, but given the quality of the two sides that contested the previous World Test Championship final at the Oval last year, you can definitely argue that this series is the ‘pinnacle’ of Test cricket and the one fans are most desperate to see unfold.
Though India head into the tour following a shocking 3-0 whitewash defeat at home to New Zealand last month, just Gautam Gambhir’s second series in charge as head coach, the tourists will take enormous confidence from finishing victorious in the previous four series against Australia.
STAT ALERT: India have claimed each of those four Border-Gavaskar trophies by narrow 2-1 margins. Australia’s last series victory came with a 2-0 triumph at home over four matches in 2014/15.
Plenty have played their role, but one man who has been instrumental in India’s success against Australia has been star man and former captain Virat Kohli.
Striking six centuries across 13 Tests in Australia since his debut there in late 2011, averaging 54.08, the Delhi-born batter has saved countless of his best showings for Australian shores.
Even in their comfortable defeat of 2014/15- a contest which saw most of his teammates collapse under the weight of expectation- Kohli plundered a remarkable 692 runs and four centuries, including 115 and 141 in the Adelaide Test.
More incredibly, this was a matter of months after a horrid tour of England when Kohli hit just 135 runs in five Tests as he struggled to counter the brilliance and swing of James Anderson.
Showcasing incredible skill and an unwavering resolve to bounce back from the mental scars of that England trip, that 2014 Australia tour illustrated he possesses so many strings to his bow.
There he proved he is a player that can thrive under the pressure of hostile atmospheres, facing the world’s best and fast Australian pitches- all amidst wickets tumbling around him. That’s no easy feat at all.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stalwart’s love affair with the land down under has also seen him score five ODI hundreds in 29 appearances, giving him the overall record of most centuries in Australia by an overseas batter.
But that doesn’t tell the full story.
He hasn’t scored a Test hundred in a winning cause since November 2019, when India trounced Bangladesh by an innings at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The recent humbling defeat against New Zealand demonstrated Kohli at a low point as he scored just 93 runs in six knocks, the most disappointing moment in Pune when he misjudged a floaty Mitchell Santner full toss that crashed into the stumps.
Looking back at the wreckage of his stumps in utter disbelief, one wonders whether the prime Kohli of yesterday would have missed such an innocuous delivery. The ball would have instead headed to the boundary.
Coupled with an average of only 31.69 in Tests since 2020- a number which sharply declines to 22.73 since to the turn of the year- Kohli now returns to a country he loves batting most with a serious point to prove. With many questions to answer.
“Kohli has always enjoyed the big occasion”, said Yas Rana, head of Wisden content.
“If the Australian environment has any effect on him whatsoever, it’ll be positive.”
His recent numbers fall well below the standards of his career peak between 2015 and 2019, a period where he struck 18 tons in 52 Tests, but Kohli has also been a victim of increasingly bowler-friendly surfaces you witness across most Indian venues.
According to CricTracker, batters in India have an overall average of 25.86 in 22 Tests since 2020.
This is the lowest of ALL nations, comparing unfavourably to other nations such as Pakistan or Sri Lanka where the averages rise to 35.34 and 32.70 respectively.
“Separated to Kohli’s own game, home pitches haven’t helped,” suggested Rana.
“In the World Test Championship era which places an emphasis on winning every single game to maximise a team’s chances of making the final, India have often produced more bowler-friendly pitches to effectively eradicate the possibility of draws.
“His numbers have undoubtedly suffered from playing on such difficult pitches.”
Many remain adamant he should be dropped or retire from Tests, but India have been steadfast in giving their most proven batters time to flourish when experiencing lean patches.
“India have form for giving established players a really long time to regain form,” declared Rana.
“Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were averaging in the mid-to-late 20s for years before finally facing the axe.
“Kohli’s recent form isn’t as bad as some say either.
“He scored two hundreds in 2023 and was outstanding on their tour of South Africa last Christmas without registering a century.”
What does the future hold?
Given that he missed the final three Tests on India’s last tour in 2020/21 to attend the birth of his first child, a series they dramatically clinched in Brisbane, it’s safe to assume that Kohli will be motivated to make up for lost time in what’s likely to be his final Test tour of the nation.
If he rediscovers his form and inspires India to another famous victory, he will take a huge step to securing his place in the pantheon of Test match greats. To sit alongside Indian legends like Tendulkar, Dravid, Dev and Gavaskar.
However, should he flop in Australia, he isn’t short of options regarding what we he could do next.
First is the option of expanding his prolific one-day international (ODI) record as the Champions Trophy approaches in early 2025.
Or, should he choose to exit international cricket altogether, Kohli could be attracted to the lucrative riches of franchise leagues like The Hundred, IPL and BBL to ‘cash in’ on a truly glittering career.
No matter what happens, one thing is for sure.
It’s guaranteed to be box-office…
Left Arm Around 
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