The Australian spin legend Nathan Lyon, who recently recalled a few of his battles with the India tiger Virat Kohli, spoke at length about his clash in the 2014 Adelaide Test, when Virat scored twin centuries. It was an important match in the career of Virat, who made a big statement in his debut series as Test captain of India.
Lyon remembers how Virat dominated him at Adelaide, making centuries in both innings. According to Lyon, Virat would often joke about his “beautiful forehands” being similar in style to tennis legend Roger Federer. This teasing seemed to get under the skin of Australian players. Lyon remembered how Virat used to always say, “Federer” while batting. And when Lyon once asked him what he meant, Virat said, “Nah, nah, I got a beautiful forehand.” Lyon laughed at that moment, admiring the confidence and calmness Virat had in the middle of a Test innings.
That 2014 tour to Australia proved to be the turning point in the career of Virat. After the disappointing tour to England, he came back strongly. Since he scored 692 runs at an average of 86.50, with four centuries and a best score of 169. This performance set the stage for him to rise as a top-class batsman and a future captain.
Under the captaincy of Virat, Indian cricket did a complete about-face. With India winning 40 Tests under the team and performing a lot better under him even in overseas conditions. Between 2016 and 2019, Virat enjoyed one of his best career phases as he amassed 4,208 runs in 43 Tests at an average of 66.79, with seven double-hundreds -the most by any captain.
However, Virat has had a rough patch in recent years. In 2023, he struggled in home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand, scoring only 192 runs in 10 innings. This year he has scored just 488 runs in 19 international matches with an average of 20.33.
Virat, despite this slump, is on strong wickets in Australia, having scored 1,352 runs in 13 Tests there at an average of 54.08, including six hundred and four fifties. This could very well spur his form.
The highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia gets underway on November 22 in Perth. The series is going to be an exciting competition. And Virat’s performance will be closely watched by everybody- fans and experts alike.
ANI
