From on-field provocations to verbal battles, the rivalry between India and Australia has been legendary. However, in recent times, there seems to be a shift in the dynamic.
There was a time when this rivalry was on the verge of coming to blows. India’s tour to Australia in 2018-19 promised to be the most tense, but the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town changed the course.
The subsequent series featured a banter exchange, without the hostility we were used to. India captain Virat Kohli even asked fans to stop booing Steven Smith, who was returning after a suspension.
Before the start of the 2020-21 test series, the question arises as to whether this new respect between the teams will compromise the intensity of the matches.
On the eve of the first match in Adelaide, Kohli explained that the best relationships are due to the players sharing more time together in the IPL, which allows them to get to know each other better. In addition, the protagonists are now more mature and aware of their place in the world.
Since the Cape Town incident, Australia has acknowledged its behavior and seeks a balance between competitiveness and exemplary conduct. This year, people have reevaluated their priorities.
“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 hold grudges and have unnecessary tension between teams and individuals, which is absolutely pointless.”Virat Kohli: “La apreciación por el desempeño de alguien o su coraje y carácter llega al final de cinco días, eso es lo que creo”.Australia’s claims of improving their behavior haven’t always been taken seriously, but Kohli acknowledged that they have changed “to some extent.” “It could be a culmination of playing IPL together, a lot of IPL cricket, Australia changing their approach to some extent, and also the way things have panned out this year,” he said. “Everyone is grateful for the opportunity to get back on the field. It’s not that the games haven’t been as intense or competitive, it’s just that the unnecessary things have been filtered out. I feel there’s a lot more respect between the teams. You can see that on the field, and I hope cricket continues to be competitive.”
“We must not compromise the quality of cricket. Banter will continue here and there all the time. That is the highest level of cricket we play, and it will be very competitive. There will be tension, there will be stress, there will be emotions that will flare up from time to time. I don’t foresee anything becoming personal. I think also, all of us, we are getting smarter, and [we have] a few more years in our careers. So we are going to make better and smarter decisions, and make sure the quality of cricket remains.”
The dichotomy in all this is that Kohli is well-regarded in Australia because he gives as good as he gets; in the words of Greg Chappell, that makes him the most Australian non-Australian. Kohli was asked if the players felt vilified 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 absolute right and space to see things and perceive them as and how 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 opposing some banter on the field or simply being aggressive in our plans or in our body language as a team.”
Despite the intensity on the field, Kohli emphasized that appreciation for the players’ performance and character is shown at the end of the five days of play. The goal is to maintain competitiveness and the quality of cricket.
