From on-field provocations to past clashes, the rivalry between India and Australia has been legendary. However, it seems that something has changed in recent years. The 2018-19 series was close to being the most tense, but the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town marked a turning point. In the World Cup, India’s captain, Virat Kohli, asked fans to stop booing Steven Smith, showing a change in attitude. Before the first Test of 2020-21, the question arises as to whether this new respect between both teams will compromise the intensity of the matches. Kohli, when asked about the best relationships, attributed the change to the increased interaction of the players in the IPL and the maturity of everyone involved.
Australia has acknowledged the need to improve its behavior, seeking a balance between competitiveness and fair play. Kohli highlighted the importance of the quality of cricket over unnecessary tensions. Kohli also mentioned that the increased interaction of players in the IPL, Australia’s change of focus, and the current circumstances have influenced this evolution. The Indian captain emphasized that, although the intensity and competitiveness will continue, the unnecessary has been filtered out, and there is more respect between the teams. Kohli believes that players are more intelligent and mature, which allows them to make better decisions to maintain the quality of cricket.I think this year has also made people realize that many things might not have been necessary in the past, where you held grudges and had unnecessary tensions between teams and individuals, which is absolutely useless.
Virat Kohli
