While the whole of Australia would be hoping for Virat Kohli to get out cheaply against their nation, Channel Seven won't mind a good outing by the Indian skipper on the upcoming Australia tour in November.
Virat will be the center of attraction in the tour and Australia's new cricket broadcasters Channel Seven want to make the most of it.
Australian pacer Pat Cummins has already made an attempt to ignite the fire by making comments on Virat. He said they will ensure Virat goes empty hand from Australia without a hundred.
"Kohli is a polarising character, but I think Aussies love Virat Kohli and I think Virat Kohli will be as big a star of the summer as much as our guys," Channel Seven's head of cricket David Barham told Fairfax Media.
"If he makes hundred after hundred, we'll talk about Virat Kohli. I'm sure he'll do it in his own way and he will be niggling, doing what he does – fantastic. It'll make for a great summer's cricket. We'll be celebrating the Indian players and their skill as much as our players."
Barham made it clear he doesn't like using microphones on players in Tests. It suits T20 only, he says. "That would be cheapening Test cricket," Barham said. "Test cricket is a hard game played by hard men and there is a mystique about it and I'm not sure you want to be talking to blokes on the field."
The Channel Seven head also doesn't want to leave stump mics turned on. "Stump mics are an important part of cricket, but you've got to remember it is players' workplace," Barham said.
"I'm mindful of that. You've got to be careful and you've got to be smart about how you use it. You don't want players saying, 'I don't want to have anything to do with you because you're doing this or that'. I'm really mindful that we try and work with them, not exploit them," he added.
Ricky Ponting had rated Kohli the best in the world. Though he said it is only because Steve Smith is away from international cricket. "If Steve Smith was playing now I'd have him as the No.1 player in the world, certainly batsman anyway," Ponting said at a Channel Seven function at the MCG on Thursday.
