Melbourne [Australia], November 17 : Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson on Sunday opened up on his rivalry with star India batter Virat Kohli and how the batter changed Indian cricket, and expressed hope that Kohli will score "one more ton" in Australia.
After a poor home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand and underwhelming Test numbers in last four-five years, scoring just two centuries since 2020, Kohli would be coming to the Australian shores for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) that could either elongate his career or bring it to a sad and premature ending.
Since 2020, Kohli has faced an elongated lean patch in the whites, scoring 1,838 runs from 34 Tests at an average of 31.68, comprising just two centuries and nine fifties.
This year in 19 matches across international formats, Kohli has just scored 488 runs at a shockingly low average of 20.33, with just two half-centuries in 25 innings and best score of 76. Kohli has had an horrific home Test season this year against Bangladesh and New Zealand, in which he scored just 192 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.33 with just one fifty. In the recent ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings, Kohli slipped out of the top-20 list for the first time in 10 years.
Writing for The West Australian, Johnson said that when Virat Kohli first came on to the scene, there were talks of him being the next Sachin Tendulkar and one of his standout traits was always being ready for a fight. Unlike Tendulkar, he displayed a rare "aggressive attitude" not seen much in Indian cricketers and gave back Australians the taste of their own medicine like no other player.
"When Virat Kohli first came on the scene, I remember hearing about him before I saw him. Many were saying he was the next Sachin Tendulkar, even though we all knew Sachin could never be replaced. I was fortunate enough to play against both Indian legends in all formats and while there are some similarities, they were also very different. One of Kohli's attributes stood out early to me above all others - he was up for the fight!," said Mitchell.
"That kind of aggressive attitude was something we had rarely seen from an Indian player at that point. We were used to giving it but didn't always get it back in return. While the occasional player from India may have been combative in moments, Kohli really made it a part of his game," he added.
Mitchell said that Kohli took his team with him really well and it would not be an understatement to say that he changed the face of Indian cricket and helped new generation of players find a way to play in tough conditions. The bowler also noted that how at the back end of careers of legends like Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, a young Virat would push his teammates to go hard at training, especially while fielding. He noted that Virat would train the way he would play in a match.
"I remember hearing at the back end of Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag's careers, a young Kohli would push his teammates to go harder at training, particularly with fielding drills. He would train like he played and pushed players around him to get better. Kohli was demanding but he is one of those players you want in your team because he has your back and that is important in team sports" said Mitchell.
The bowler said that because of these things, he saw a difference in the Indian team which toured Australia in 2014-15, Johnson's last full Australian summer in cricket before retirement and Virat's first as a Test captain following MS Dhoni's retirement.
"They were competitive and confident they could beat us at home and while they did not do it that summer, won 2-0 by Australia over four Tests, that was the last time the Aussies have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," he said.
The legendary pacer said that the "Kohli way" has rubbed off on his teammates and set up the future as well. He also revisited his rivalry with Virat Kohli, which often left him with mixed feelings of frustration and enjoyment after each battle on the field.
"I had a well-publicised personal rivalry with Kohli. We had many interactions on the field and I enjoyed it. While I did not know him off the field, on the field we probably played the game in a similar way - taking the game on and not backing down. Some do not like that style of cricket and prefer there is no chat with the opposition, but I enjoyed that part of the game. I would become frustrated during some of our battles, but I also enjoyed that he kept coming at me. It is always a nice feeling to get one of the best out, and likewise, I am sure he enjoyed taking me down and hitting me for a four or a six," said Johnson.
The bowler revealed that a hit to Kohli's body by him started their rivalry during the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in 2014, when he was trying to get Virat run out. He also said that the goal was always to get Virat riled up through verbal confrontations and ruin his focus, forcing him into playing a bad shot.
"In that Test match at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) we got him off guard early and had him playing at a ball he did not need to in frustration and unfortunately we dropped him on not many. He then focussed and harnessed his energy and piled on the runs - all 169 of them," he added.
Mitchell said that while bowling to Kohli, it was important to get him out early, within the first 10 balls or so, otherwise, he would make bowlers pay.
The bowler said that he remembers Kohli's "cover drives and pulls" against him and how it left him admiring the batter.
"I also remember the cover drives, the pull shots and the urgency of his running between wickets. One of the best players in the world playing me with so much time, I think I even said 'good shot' in my head a few times after being driven down the ground," he said.
In the 2014-15 tour to Australia, Virat Kohli scored 692 runs in four matches, with four centuries and a fifty at an average of 86.50. In that series, Kohli scored 145 runs against Mitchell in 157 matches, getting out to him thrice. His average was 48.3 against the Aussie star and slammed 22 fours against him.
Mitchell said that the upcoming tour to Australia is most likely Kohli's last to this country and his batting average here is higher than his career average and not everyone can say that. He also noted that Kohli is not in form like he used to be. He wondered if that will motivate Kohli and give him determination.
"The 36-year-old is most likely in Australia for the final time on a Test tour. It's a place he's done well. He averages 54.08 in Australia - higher than his career average of 47.83 and few batsmen around the world can say that," said Mitchell.
"His form hasn't been at its best recently and he will be under pressure to perform again here in front of the many Indian fans who will turn out. I wonder if the situation will give him all the determination he needs or if it will all be too much for him."
"As a fan now watching on, maybe I'd like to see him make one more Test ton in Australia. As his adversary from a decade ago, maybe not. Ultimately, I want to see the best against the best and a series played with all the fire and urgency that has come to mark this great rivalry. And I know that's where Virat will feel right at home," he concluded.
After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series' penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India's squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.