India batter Virat Kohli revealed how playing in Australia and watching cricket being played Down Under during his childhood helped shape his career.
Ahead of the first ODI in Perth, Kohli spoke about his love affair with Australia. When asked what had made him so successful Down Under, Kohli said:
“Growing up, watching cricket as a kid, we used to wake up early to watch Test matches in Australia. You could see the ball flying off the pitch and the opposition right in your face, and I used to think, ‘Wow, if I’m able to step up in these conditions and against this opposition, that’s something I could be proud of as a cricketer.’ That was the motivation for me—watching all the greats of our game from both sides. Guys like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, even Virender Sehwag—players I really looked up to.”
Kohli also highlighted how Australian players inspired him to perform well in the Australian conditions.
“Even the Australian set-up—how they played their cricket, how they were always in your face, intimidating and taking the game on—that was something that really inspired me to come here and do the same,” Kohli told Fox Cricket. “Early on, I found it was easier to watch on television than to be part of that hostile environment, but I’m really grateful for all those experiences because they shaped me both as a cricketer and as a person.”
Having toured Australia multiple times in the past, Kohli averages 46.73 in Test cricket and over 50 in ODIs there, with 12 centuries to his name. The ongoing ODI series could well be his final international assignment in Australia.
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