Virat Kohli may have been struggling in Test cricket lately, but his aura hasn’t dripped a bit. In the lead-up to the blockbuster Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, Kohli's face is dominating the front pages of Australian newspapers.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra weighed in on the buzz around Kohli, attributing it to his remarkable performances in Test matches on Australian soil.
"Test is the format if you want to earn respect in Australia and England. No matter how well you do in white-ball cricket, you won't get that much respect. However, they remember you if you have dominated them with the bat or jolted them with the ball (in Tests). You will be written beautifully in the annals of history," Chopra said.
Kohli loves the rivalry against Australia and has played some of his best knocks Down Under. The star batter has played 25 Test innings on Australian soil, amassing 1352 runs at an average of 54.08 with six hundreds and four half-centuries.
Chopra rubbished the notion that the hype is a result of media manipulation, stating that Kohli has "commanded" respect, not demanded it.
"Is it any PR machinery that is in overdrive? Absolutely not. We were told from our childhood that Australia will be in your face. You don't play with the XI but the entire nation. They are at you relentlessly. However, if you go there and conquer those grounds and this team, if you decimate or dominate them, they become your fans," he explained.
The former Indian opener compared Kohli’s achievements with those of Rohit Sharma, highlighting that despite current Indian captain’s greatness in limited-overs cricket, he hasn’t had the same impact in Test matches Down Under.
Rohit has played seven Tests on Australian soil, scoring 408 runs at an average of 31.38 with three half-centuries.
"Rohit Sharma is an absolute GOAT when it comes to playing against Australia in white-ball cricket. However, Rohit has never played an entire Test series in Australia. He might not play the entire series this time as well. Rohit Sharma has not yet earned that status," Chopra remarked.
Chopra also mentioned that this recognition of Virat Kohli is reminiscent of the respect shown to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in Australia.
"They will be the first ones to stand up and greet you with applause. They will actually bow to you. We have seen this with Sachin Tendulkar. To earn respect in Australia and England, you have to go there and score runs or pick up wickets in Test matches. The moment you do that, you will be celebrated," he observed.
