Kohli has slammed six hundreds in 13 Tests on Australia soil.
Ahead of the marquee series, former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has expressed his wish to see India’s star batter Virat Kohli scoring one more hundred Down Under.
This could well be Kohli’s last tour to Australia, where he has played some of the best knocks of his illustrious career. The veteran campaigner has batted in 25 Test innings on Australian soil, amassing 1352 runs at an average of 54.08 with six hundreds and four half-centuries.
Johnson, who has had many duels with Kohli on the field, hoped that the Indian stalwart will be able to change his fortunes in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Ever since 2020, Virat Kohli has just scored two Test tons while he has managed to cross fifty just once in the six Tests so far in 2024.
Kohli was troubled by the Bangladesh and Kiwi spinners in the recently held home Test season, returning with scores of 6, 17, 47, 29*, 0, 70, 1, 17, 4 and 1. As a result, his Test average has dropped to 47.83. He currently has 9040 runs to his name from 118 Tests, including 29 centuries.
"The 36-year-old is most likely in Australia for the final time on a Test tour. It’s a place he’s done well. He averages 54.08 in Australia – higher than his career average of 47.83 and few batsmen around the world can say that," Johnson wrote in his column for The West Australian.
"His form hasn’t been at its best recently and he will be under pressure to perform again here in front of the many Indian fans who will turn out," he added.
Johnson wants Kohli to notch up one more century in Australia. "I wonder if the situation will give him all the determination he needs or if it will all be too much for him. As a fan now watching on, maybe I’d like to see him make one more Test ton in Australia. As his adversary from a decade ago, maybe not," he said.
"Ultimately, I want to see the best against the best and a series played with all the fire and urgency that has come to mark this great rivalry. And I know that’s where Virat will feel right at home," he remarked.
In his column, Mitchell Johnson also explained how Virat Kohli is significantly different to Sachin Tendulkar and how the former has changed Indian cricket.
"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," said Johnson.
"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. The Indian team now speak in the media with confidence, even arrogance – though not in a bad way," he added.
"The Kohli way has rubbed off on many of his teammates across his long career and he has set up the future as well," he concluded.