Kohli: High-Voltage Cricket Without Unnecessary Tension in India vs Australia

The rivalry between India and Australia in the world of cricket has undergone a notable transformation over the years. From moments of extreme tension, such as Shikhar Dhawan’s mockery of an injured Shane Watson in 2013 and David Warner’s provocation in 2014-15, to on-field disputes, the dynamic has evolved.There was a time when the rivalry between India and Australia seemed on the verge of coming to blows on the field. India’s tour of Australia in 2018-19 promised to be the tensest of all, but before that happened, the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town occurred, and something changed.The series at that moment presented a friendly interaction, but nothing as unpleasant as what we were used to seeing when India played against Australia. Later, during the World Cup, the Indian captain, Virat Kohli, asked Indian fans to stop booing Steven Smith, who was returning to the field after serving his suspension.

Before the start of the 2020-21 test series, some wondered if this new respect between the teams would compromise the intensity of the matches. On the eve of the first match in Adelaide, Kohli explained that the better relationship was due to these teams playing together a lot in the IPL and knowing each other better. Furthermore, everyone involved is more mature and more secure in their place in the world.

Since the Cape Town incident, Australia has recognized the need to improve its behavior, seeking a balance between competitiveness and exemplary conduct. Kohli commented that this year has led people to reconsider their priorities and realize how unnecessary it was to cling to grudges and tensions.

It’s a combination of all those factors. I think this year has also made people realize that many things might not have been necessary in the past, where you hold grudges and have 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.

Virat Kohli

Kohli added that he no longer believes things are as personal as before, and that they understand they are contributing to a greater cause, where the quality of cricket should be the most important thing. He acknowledged that Australia has changed “to some extent”, and that the IPL, Australia’s change of focus, and the current situation have influenced this evolution.Kohli highlighted the importance of maintaining competitiveness and intensity on the field, but without getting personal. “We should maintain the quality of cricket. There will be jokes here and there all the time. That is the highest level of cricket we play, and it’s going to be very competitive. There will be tension, there will be stress, there will be emotions that will burst from time to time. I don’t foresee anything becoming personal. I think also, all of us, we are becoming smarter, and we are a few years into our careers. So we are going to make better and smarter decisions, and make sure that the quality of cricket is maintained.”

The duality in all of this is that Kohli is well-regarded in Australia because he responds in the same way; in the words of Greg Chappell, that makes him the most non-Australian Australian. Kohli was asked if the players felt vilified for doing what they do at certain times, which is to give their all within the rules to win the match for their teams.”The media has every right and space to see things and perceive them 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 defending some comment on the field or just being aggressive in our plans or in our body language as a team.”He added that at the highest level, the quality of cricket cannot be compromised. “You have to maintain the dignity of the sport, but you also have to understand that you are competing at the highest level with two quality teams facing each other.”