Pat Cummins' Australia cricket team is set to take on India in a five-match Test series starting next Friday. Ahead of the series, former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson, who was a key figure in that series, praised Virat Kohli for changing Indian cricket.
Johnson said Kohli's aggressive approach was a game changer for the team, pointing out that the competitive spirit he brought was rare among Indian players at the time. Johnson noted that Kohli really made it a part of his game, and that attitude inspired a new generation of players to take up a tougher style of play.
Johnson also reflected on the 2014-15 series, in which Kohli was a key contributor, despite Australia winning 2-0. Johnson enjoyed Kohli's drive and commitment to excellence, and their rivalry on the field was intense but enjoyable. Kohli's influence on training sessions and pushing teammates to step it up, especially in fielding drills, were what he remarked on.
He said, “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. I could sense a difference in the Indian team I played against in 2014/15, my last full Aussie summer before I retired from international cricket the following November. They were competitive and confident they could beat us at home and while they didn't 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. I had a well-publicised personal rivalry with Kohli. We had many interactions on the field and I enjoyed it.”
Johnson's insights remind us of how Kohli's legacy has shaped Indian cricket as Australia looks to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It promises to be a fascinating contest, with both teams vying for supremacy and Australia hoping to break an 11-year winless streak against India in Test series since 2015. The stakes are high and memories of past battles are still fresh; this is a battle fans will not want to miss between these cricketing giants.
