'Very different' Kohli still a force to reckon with

India are seeking a third successive Test series win on Aussie soil and, despite the dwindling recent returns of their superstar Virat Kohli, the hosts will not be taking the visitors' talisman lightly.

Kohli's average over his past 10 Test innings stands at 20.62, compared to his lofty career figure of 47.83, and he has only made three Test centuries in the past five years, a stat that drew the attention of former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

But Kohli remains India's star attraction. It was his face splashed across front pages to mark India's arrival Down Under, and he arrives knowing Australia has been a happy hunting ground in the past. It is in Australia that Kohli has scored his most Test runs outside of India – 1,352 in 13 matches at an average of 54.08, including six centuries and another four fifties in his 25 innings.

Adelaide has been Kohli's favourite hunting ground, the love affair going back to 2012, when he hit his first hundred on Aussie soil.

But it was the tour of 2014 that etched Kohli in Australia's cricketing conscious. The twin tons on captaincy debut in Adelaide almost led India to a remarkable run chase n in an emotional Test series opener. He followed with 169 at the MCG and 147 at the SCG, and finished with a runs tally for the series of 692.

When Kohli was last in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, in 2020-21, he made 74 in the first Test in Adelaide, before returning home on paternity leave.

There cannot be a bigger and better stage for the batter to find form, and that is why the Australians still prize his wicket so highly.

But some of the Australians note that Kohli is no longer the same fiery player who loved engaging in on-field exchanges in his younger days. 

"It's a very different Virat now, so you can go and have a joke with him … (but) he still scores runs against you," Usman Khawaja told cricket.com.au. 

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey agreed, noting that during the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy series – played in India in early 2023 – "there was nothing" (verbally) from Kohli. 

"Playing them in India … there was nothing," Carey said. "(We didn't) get under his skin, and he didn't try to get under ours. He just performed well with the bat."

It wasn't always this way with Kohli, as Aussie off-spinner Nathan Lyon knows all too well. Lyon recalls his battle with Kohli during the Adelaide Test in 2014 where Virat confused the Aussie tweaker by repeatedly commenting "Federer" with every arrival at the non-striker's end. 

"I said, 'Mate, are we playing the wrong sport here if you're thinking of Roger Federer?' and he goes, 'Nah, I've got a beautiful forehand'.

"And I'm just like yeah, OK, you're a decent player when you can sit there and do that mid-innings."

Australia's left-arm quick Mitchell Starc said he is looking forward to rekindling the battle with his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate.

"I got to play alongside Virat for a couple of years in the IPL, so I got to know him off the field a bit and I have always enjoyed the battles together," Starc told cricket.com.au.

"But I don't think it's like him or I have cracks back or forth. It's more about the cricket and enjoying the contest.

"So he's not someone I have riled up or tried to rile up. You just have to try and let the cricket do the talking."

While Australia's quicks will have their plans, Marnus Labuschagne hinted the Aussies would look to make things uncomfortable for Kohli.

"You want him to come out of his comfort zone and try to force the game," said Labuschagne. "When he lets the game come to him, he is a very dangerous player."

Of course, should all else fail, Mitch Marsh, tongue planted firmly in cheek, suggested a novel approach. 

Asked 'how can Virat Kohli be stopped?' Marsh responded: "I think I'm going to shoulder charge him when he gets to 30, just take him out," the allrounder deadpanned.

Whether it be via wisecracks or wobble seams, the battle between Australia and Kohli will captivate both nations come November 22 in Perth.

NRMA Insurance Men's Test Series v India

First Test: November 22-26: Perth Stadium, 1.20pm AEDT

Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (D/N)

Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane, 11.20am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: (first Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed