From the moment Shikhar Dhawan mocked an injured Shane Watson in 2013, to David Warner being used as an official provocateur during the 2014-15 tour; passing through on-field clashes, even after the death of Phillip Hughes, the rivalry between India and Australia has undergone a remarkable transformation.
There was a time when the tension between India and Australia seemed on the verge of coming to blows. India’s tour of Australia in 2018-19 promised to be the most tense, but before that happened, the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town arrived, and something changed.
The series at that time was characterized by jokes, but nothing as unpleasant as what we were used to when India played against Australia. Later, during the World Cup, the Indian captain, Virat Kohli, asked Indian fans to stop booing Steven Smith, who had served his time and was returning to the field after his suspension.
Before the start of the 2020-21 Test series, some have wondered if this new respect between both teams will compromise the intensity of the matches.
On the eve of the first Test in Adelaide, Kohli was asked about the reasons for the improved relationships, and his answer summarized the evolution of the rivalry: these teams play together a lot in the IPL and know each other better. In addition, the protagonists of this story are older, wiser, and more secure in their place in the world.
Since the Cape Town incident, Australia has acknowledged that its behavior left much to be desired and has strived to find the balance between competitiveness and exemplary behavior. Furthermore, this has been a year in which people have re-evaluated their priorities in life and realized how unnecessary certain things were.
“It’s a combination of all those factors,” Kohli said. “I think this year has also made people realize that a lot of 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. You’re still going to be professional and make sure you’re positive and aggressive in your body language and the way you do things on the field.
Kohli added that he no longer expects things to be as personal as before, because they understand that they are contributing to a greater cause, and that it is the quality of the cricket that should stand out. He acknowledged that, although they will continue to try to get people out and score runs, the unnecessary will filter out on its own.Virat Kohli: “Appreciation for someone’s performance or courage and character comes at the end of five days, that’s what I believe”Kohli pointed out that although Australia has changed “to some extent”, this could be the result of playing together in the IPL, Australia’s change of focus and the way things have evolved this year. He believes there is more respect between the teams and hopes that cricket will remain competitive, without compromising the quality of the game.
Kohli emphasized that the atmosphere will be competitive, with tension and emotions on edge, but he does not expect things to get personal. In addition, he believes that everyone is maturing and making smarter decisions to ensure that the quality of cricket is maintained.
The dichotomy in all this is that Kohli is highly appreciated in Australia because he gives his best, in the words of Greg Chappell, that makes him the most Australian non-Australian. Kohli was asked if the players felt vilified for giving their all within the rules to win the match for their teams.
“The media has every right and space to see and perceive things as they want,” Kohli said. “For us, as cricketers, we understand that we do what is required for the team at that moment. To make sure we are moving forward as a team, whether it’s facing some provocation on the field or just being aggressive in our plans or in our body language as a team.”
At the highest level, the quality of cricket cannot be compromised. You have to maintain the dignity of the sport, but you must also understand that you are competing at the highest level with two quality teams facing each other.”
And there will be times when things get difficult and teams will face each other, but not in a disrespectful way, that’s what I meant. There’s definitely a lot more to Test cricket. The appreciation for someone’s performance or someone’s courage and character comes at the end of five days, that’s what I believe.”
And during the five days, obviously, the crowds will try to make things as difficult as possible for us. We will try to make things as difficult as possible for the opposition, and that’s the beauty of Test cricket. You can appreciate the efforts made by both teams at the end of five days and make sure you don’t carry anything off the field, that’s what I meant.”
But on the field, things will be competitive, it will be high-voltage cricket because there are quality players on both teams hungry and eager to perform for their teams and make sure they help their team win. It will definitely be as competitive as it has always been for so many years between India and Australia.”
In other words, tough but fair. How much more Australian can Kohli get?
