NEW DELHI: The Australian media has been heavily promoting the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, with a particular focus on Virat Kohli, given his immense popularity and fan following in the country.
India are scheduled to face Australia in a Pink Ball Test in Adelaide on December 6, following a two-day warm-up match in Canberra against the Prime Minister’s XI.
During an interview with ABC Sports, several Australian players were asked which Indian player they would like to have in their Test team.
Jasprit Bumrah compared to Indian great Kapil Dev
While there was no one advocating for Team India skipper Rohit Sharma, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, and Alex Carey unanimously expressed their desire to have Virat Kohli in their batting lineup, acknowledging his exceptional batting acumen and the added strength he would bring to their team.
Glenn Maxwell, who has played alongside Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, highlighted Kohli’s consistent and outstanding performances against Australia across formats.
“Well, it’s probably hard to get past my RCB teammate. Virat. That’s gonna be a popular answer. I don’t really care what he does against other nations. But it seems like every time against Australia, he grows a couple of inches and just brings his best performances. He’ll be hard work this summer,” said Maxwell.
While Kohli was the popular choice among most Australian players, Steve Smith and Travis Head opted for Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian pace spearhead.
Head’s reasoning was straightforward – he would prefer not to face Bumrah’s formidable bowling skills. “Bumrah. Don’t have to face him,” added the destructive Australian opener.
However, Australian captain Pat Cummins provided a lighthearted and cheeky response, choosing neither Kohli nor Bumrah, much to the amusement of the interviewer.
