Virat Kohli was the agent provocateur when Australia and India’s rivalry was at its most spiteful for this generation of players. Lately, as familiarity no longer bred contempt between the two sides, he has become more of a statesman. Ravi Shastri wants to see more of the old Kohli back.
Sourav Ganguly is widely credited for being the captain who marked the end of India’s on-field deference to Australia, though few have thrived on confrontation as much as Kohli.
At his prime, no player in the world could rile the Australians quite like Kohli, India’s combative captain whose aggression on the field, bordering on belligerence at times, was symbolic of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s power and control off it.
The Kohli of 2024 is more thoughtful and considered, in keeping with his standing as one of the greatest modern players. His last code of conduct breach was in 2019.
Virat Kohli has been at the centre of many of the recent flashpoints between Australia and India.Credit: AAP
“It’s age, you mellow with age, don’t you?” Ravi Shastri, a former India great and coach, said. “Start of the Test series you might see him fiery again. He needs to be. I like to see him like that. In the face, that’s Kohli.”
Kohli has not played in a losing series against Australia since 2014. He has been involved in almost every flashpoint between Australia and India since the “Monkey-gate” affair of 2008, the ugliest coming in 2017 when the then India captain all but accused his counterpart Steve Smith of cheating for seeking guidance from the dressing room in his use of the decision review system.
That bombshell claim, though unsubstantiated, came after a spiteful Test in Bangalore when Kohli was one of seven players from either side rebuked by the umpires. To the surprise of the Australian team, no player was sanctioned by the International Cricket Council.
In the thrilling Adelaide Test of 2014, Kohli was one of three players fined for breaching world cricket’s player code of conduct.
Former Australia coach Justin Langer gave a telling insight into his frustrations with Kohli during the 2018 Perth Test when India’s skipper went head-to-head with Tim Paine, who threw out a pre-game strategy not to engage so he could stand up for his team.
Langer’s remarks were captured in CA’s documentary, The Test, after his team largely allowed Kohli’s behaviour through to the keeper, in more ways than one, mindful of the intense scrutiny on their behaviour after the ball tampering scandal.
“I remember that afternoon [feeling] like a punching bag. We can’t fight back because it felt like we had our hands behind our backs and we just had to take it,” Langer said.
“It just felt a bit [like] double standards to me. Imagine if we behaved two out of 10 [of] that.”
Legendary former Australia captain Allan Border played in an era when the rivalry between the nations was almost non-existent. In his 156-Test career from 1979 to 1994, Border played in just five series against India. This summer will be Nathan Lyon’s fifth against India since 2017.
Across 45 years as a player, selector and commentator, the most significant change Border has noticed in India’s attitude is their aggression.
“I think Sourav was one of the first Indian boys to really obviously show fightback with verbals, which hadn’t happened much in the past,” Border said. “The Indian guys played a quieter game of cricket.
“They do not take a backward step now. Virat Kohli has probably led the charge there, no backward steps from him. If you’re a young Indian cricketer now, there’s no reason not to have self-confidence in your game, and you’re not too worried about a few of the Aussies having a crack at you.”
Under Paine and then Pat Cummins, Australia have abandoned the rugged and abrasive style of play of previous generations that not only rubbed opponents the wrong way but also sections of their fans at home, and adopted an approach based on skill over emotion more reflective of their natural manner.
The friendship generated by sharing the same dressing room in the lucrative Indian Premier League, and the need to protect future contracts, also demands more cordial relations.
Winding up Kohli on the field is unlikely to be the go for Cummins’ men, which is what Border wants to hear, though five Tests in seven weeks will stretch the patience of all players.
“I don’t see the value, why fire up an opposition?” Border said. “You start doing that to Virat Kohli, that’s not going to do any good whatsoever. You’re better off zipping it with him. He’s a cold shoulder player. Just let him bat, and hopefully not for too long.”
Kohli’s early departure from the 2020 tour for parental leave was supposed to sink India’s campaign, but his absence was not as keenly felt because of Shastri’s backroom presence and appetite for attacking play.
There was consternation in the Australian camp in the 2020-21 series when reports filtered out of Team India before Christmas they would not travel to the Gabba for the final Test because of concerns about the COVID security bubble.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan fears India will suffer without a big figure like Shastri or the Kohli of old leading the way.
“I want to know in this Indian camp, who’s the Ravi Shastri?” Vaughan told fans at the launch of Kayo’s summer of cricket launch. “I don’t think there can be another one. Who’s going to be the Virat Kohli? Can Rohit arrive and captain in a similar sense? I think that will be the big challenge for India in the next couple of months.”
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