India vs Australia Test Series, Virat Kohli: The Indian cricket team had to face a crushing 0-3 defeat in the recent test series against New Zealand. Now the Indian team has toured Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). In this tour, the Indian team has to play a five-match Test series against hosts Australia. This series is also very important for India to reach the final of the World Test Championship (WTC). The Indian team will need a 4-0 series win to reach the WTC final without depending on other results.
Hoping Kohli performs well again in Australia
In the upcoming Test series against Australia, all eyes will be on star batsman and former Team India captain Virat Kohli. Kohli could only score 93 runs in the Test series against New Zealand. But now he would like to create a scandal against Australia on his territory. Anyway, King Kohli’s bat roars ferociously on Australian soil. Kohli has a strong Test record in Australia, which will definitely boost his morale.
Virat Kohli has played a total of 13 Test matches so far on Australian soil, in which he has scored 1352 runs at an average of 54.08. During this period, Kohli scored 6 centuries and 4 half-centuries. Kohli’s best Test score in Australia is 169 runs, which he made at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in December 2014. Kohli has been India’s leading run-scorer in Test matches during the 2011-12 tours. and 2014-15 for Australia.
Virat Kohli’s best performance in a Test series came only against Australia. During the 2014-15 tour, Kohli scored 692 runs in four Test matches at an average of 86.50, which included four centuries and a half-century. Kohli jointly heads the list of batsmen who have scored the most Test centuries for India on Australian soil. Apart from Virat, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also scored 6 Test centuries on Australian soil. Now Virat has a golden opportunity to overtake Sachin.
Virat has scored a century at the Optus Stadium in Perth
If we look at Virat Kohli’s Test record, he hasn’t had that much success against Australia at home. Virat could only score 627 runs at an average of 39.18 in 11 Test matches against Australia at home. During this period, two and a half centuries arose from his bat. In comparison, Kohli’s Test form against Australia on their soil has been astonishing. Kohli likes to bat on bouncy pitches and this time he will also look at the kangaroo bowlers, which is quite likely.
The first match of the Test series between India and Australia will be played from November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Virat Kohli also scored a Test century for this reason. When the Test match was held at this ground in December 2018, Kohli had played a century-long innings of 123 runs. However, Kohli’s century did not help the Indian team and Australia won that match by 146 runs.
Virat Kohli’s Test career
Total matches: 118
Run: 9040
Average: 47.83
Century: 29
Fifty: 31
Six: 28
Fours: 1012
Virat Kohli’s Test record against Australia
Total matches: 25
Run: 2042
Average: 47.48
Centuries: 8
Fifty: 5
Six: 5
Fours: 227
Kohli’s Test record in Australia
Total matches: 13
Run: 1352
Average: 54.08
Centuries: 6
Fifty: 4
Six: 3
Fours: 151
Indian team for Australia tour: Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (goalkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (goalkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj , Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal.
Note: Rohit Sharma will not play in the first Test. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah will captain the team.
Australia’s squad for the first test: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
Indian team tour of Australia (November 2024 – January 2025)
November 22-26: First Test, Perth
December 6-10: second test, Adelaide
December 14-18: Third Test, Brisbane
December 26-30: Fourth Test, Melbourne
January 3-7: Fifth Test, Sydney