India captain Virat Kohli has been a thorn in the eye for many oppositions, but no team likes to test Kohli more than Australia. In recent years, Kohli and Australia have faced each other on the field and have shared a bittersweet relationship over the years. This time around, the rivalry between Kohli and Australia will not be as intense as on previous tours with Kohli’s scheduled departure back to India after the first test, but there will be no shortage of intensity while he is around.
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Test captain Tim Paine has admitted that Australia and their players ‘love to hate’ Kohli as competitors, but at the same time, as fans, they love to watch him hit.
“They ask me a lot of questions about Virat Kohli, he’s just another player for me, it doesn’t really bother me. There’s really no relationship there with him to be fair, I see him in the draw and I play against him and that’s it, ”Paine told ABC Sport.
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“With Virat it’s fun, we love to hate him, but we also love to see him hit like cricket fans. It certainly is polarizing in that kind of scenario. We love to see him hit, but we don’t like to see him score too many runs.
“Australia and India, it’s a heated competition and obviously he’s a competitive person and so am I, so year there were a few times when we had words, but that wasn’t because he was the captain and I was the captain, he could have. . been anyone.
It was against Australia that Kohli scored his first test century in Adelaide in 2012. During the 2014 tour, India may have lost the series 0-2, Kohli burned the charts with 692 runs in four matches, including four hundred. twin centuries at the first test in Adelaide. Last time around, Kohli scored 282 runs and led India to a historic test win. As Kohli will not be present in three of the four events, Australia de Paine has a chance to claim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“There is always a bit more tension when a player is as good as he is, it’s the same when you play England, Joe Root or Ben Stokes. Often times, the best player is the one that your team raises a little, the intensity increases when the best players in the world take to the field, ”added Paine.
“I’m looking forward to it all to be honest, it’s a great series. They beat us here last time obviously with a different team, and like I said, the rivalry between the two countries is building all the time, I think every time you face the best it’s something that you look forward to as players and as a team, and we certainly are. “
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