Former Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was one of the earliest members of the team to reach Australia for the five-match Test series. The 36-year-old landed on Monday and the local newspapers put Kohli’s face on the front pages. Most of the members began their net practice ahead of the first Test which starts in 10 days.
This is Virat Kohli's fifth and most likely the final tour of Australia and the former India skipper will want to make it memorable. Kohli scored his first-ever Test century in Australia during the 2011/12 tour at Adelaide. His highest point was during the 2014 tour where he scored a century in each innings in Adelaide and also tons in Melbourne and Sydney.
VIRAT KOHLI ON THE FRONT PAGE OF AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER. 🐐🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/wyEghXHiw0
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 12, 2024
In the 2018/19 tour, Kohli was the captain when India beat Australia for the first series down under. By the time the 2020/21 tour came along, Kohli played just one game where India was bowled out for 36 under his captaincy. Ajinkya Rahane went on to lead the side to a series win after Kohli flew back to India for the birth of his first child.
Australian Newspaper splash Virat Kohli on the front page
Most of the Australian newspapers used Virat Kohli’s face on their main page on Tuesday. Herald Sun wrote, “This summer the man looks set to be farewelled on these shores”. The newspaper also lavished praise on young Indian batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal as the player Australia need to be wary of.
Herald Sun also wrote, “Kohli left his first impression of note on Australian audiences in 2012 at the SCG where he stuck up his finger to the crowd, but his most lasting one came to two Test later when he scored India’s lone ton of the series.”
During his debut tour of Australia, the then 23-year-old also scored a whirlwind century in a game against Sri Lanka. Chasing 321 to win from 40 overs, Kohli hit 133 not out as India reached the target inside the 37th over but sadly failed to make it to the finals.
“The boy had arrived and would go on to define the Australia – India rivalry for the next decade. This summer the man looks set to be farewelled on these shores. In his place, Jaiswal looks ready to fill in. Having spent the past 18 months establishing himself as the most exciting Indian batter of this generation. And like Kohli before him, when in full flow, nothing much feels out of reach for India,” added Herald Sun.