Former Australian captain Michael Clarke on Tuesday backed star India batter Virat Kohli to come good Down Under, pointing out his fine record in the country and adding that all the media hype and build-up around him will “pump him up” to score. After a horrid home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand and underwhelming Test numbers over the years, Virat will be making his fifth Test series tour of Australia under the toughest of circumstances, with his long-format legacy and spot on the line as India awaits a transition following ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
Speaking to Revsportz, Clarke said that Virat still has the game and would be hungry knowing the conditions suit him well. He also said that if the batter gets runs in the first game, he will score well all series.
“Virat Kohli has had a lot of success in Australia – six hundreds in 13 Test matches, if I remember right. He still has the game. He will be hungry and he will know the conditions will suit him. I am very sure he will score the maximum runs for India if they are to win or do well in this series. As an Australian, I would want Australia to keep him quiet. If he gets runs in the first game, he will get runs all series and will make it count. He loves the fight, mate, and loves getting into the action. See the build-up around him. All of this will pump him up for sure,” he said.
This year in 19 matches across international formats, Virat has just scored 488 runs at a shockingly low average of 20.33, with just two half-centuries in 25 innings and best score of 76.
It is his downfall in Tests that has been more shocking and saddening as the numbers do not fit someone of his superstardom and skill. His form from 2016-2019 is among the greatest peaks in the longest format, having made 4,208 runs in 43 Tests and 69 innings at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries and 10 fifties. It was during this period he smashed seven double centuries, the most by a captain in Tests, a record which still stands.
However, since 2020, Virat has faced an elongated lean patch in the whites, scoring 1838 runs from 34 Tests at an average of 31.68, comprising just two centuries and nine fifties.
Virat has had an horrific home Test season this year against Bangladesh and New Zealand, in which he scored just 192 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.33 with just one fifty. In the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, Kohli slipped out of the top-20 list for the first time in 10 years.
In 13 Tests in Australia, Virat has scored 1,352 runs at an average of 54.08, with six centuries and four fifties. His best score is 169.
Across all formats in Australia, Virat has scored 3,426 runs at an average of 56.16, with 11 centuries and 19 fifties in 70 innings. His best score is 169.
The much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia kicks off on November 22, with the first Test at Perth. The second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.
Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series’ penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
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