'He will want to use this series as platform': AUS star issues huge Kohli warning to Cummins and Co. before Nagpur Test
The Australian power-hitter believes Pat Cummins and Co. will have to get the better of Virat Kohli to win the four-match Test series in India.
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli will hope to rediscover his old form in the longest format when India resume its rivalry with Australia in the high-profile Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The talismanic batter of the Rohit Sharma-led side has smashed a series of hundreds in limited-overs cricket although the batting icon has struggled to translate his form into the longest and oldest format of the game.
Showering praise on the former Indian skipper ahead of the series opener against the Pat Cummins-led side in Nagour, Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has hailed Kohli as one of the best players in the history of the game. The Australian power-hitter believes Cummins and Co. will have to get the better of Kohli to win the four-match Test series in India.
“Virat is one of the best ever. The age he is at and the stage he is in his career, he will want to use this series as his platform. The best players always choose the best series. We have seen in the T20 World cup how good he was. It is an indication how hungry he is. He is certainly one who can push us back and we will have to get the better of him to be able to win this series. And I can tell you that we will be ready for him,” Stoinis shared his views on Backstage with Boria show.
Kohli, who has a much better record against the Baggy Greens in Australia than India, had a forgetful series against the Men From Down Under when they last toured the Asian nation in 2017. Kohli only managed to score 46 runs in five innings at the time. Averaging 48.05, Kohli has smashed 1682 runs in 20 Test matches against Australia.
The former Indian skipper has registered 7 centuries and 5 half-centuries against Australia in Test cricket. The Indian run machine last scored a Test century back in 2019. However, Kohli has slammed four international centuries since 2022. The batting maestro has amassed 8119 runs in 104 Test matches for India. The Kohli-starrer Indian side will meet Australia in the Test series opener at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Thursday.
