Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri reckons that batting stalwart Virat Kohli should embrace his fiery and combative persona against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to rediscover his dominant form in Test cricket. With the opening Test of the much-anticipated series set to begin in Perth on Friday, Shastri believes Kohli’s trademark aggression could be the key to reversing his recent struggles in Test cricket.
Kohli, once regarded as a relentless run machine, has faced a prolonged lean patch in Test cricket. Since the start of 2020, the 36-year-old has averaged just 32 with the bat, managing only two centuries in his last 60 Test innings. His performance in 2024 has been particularly underwhelming, with a modest average of 22.72 across six matches and just one half-century in his last 10 innings.
Shastri, who coached India to a historic 2-1 series victory in Australia in 2020-21, remains confident in Kohli’s abilities but acknowledges the need for a spark to reignite his form. Shastri urged Kohli to return to the antagonist role that defined him early in his career and made him a thorn in Australia’s side. “You mellow with age, don’t you? But I think at the start of the Test series, you might just see Kohli firing again. He needs to be. I’d like to see him like that again,” Shastri said during a press interaction on Tuesday.
“In the face-that’s Kohli. Come Australia, he’ll get his juices flowing. It’s all about how he starts, and for Australia, it’s similar to Steve Smith. Don’t write these guys off-if they fire in the first two or three innings, they can dominate the series.”
Kohli has historically thrived in high-stakes series, particularly against Australia. However, his subdued performances over the past few years have raised questions about his longevity as a force in Test cricket. Shastri, though, firmly dismissed notions that Kohli is past his prime. He believes that the intense rivalry with Australia could reignite Kohli’s competitive edge, transforming his fortunes with the bat.
Shastri said that he would have preferred India’s top first Test XI to face an organized opponent in a warm-up but trusted the planning behind choosing an intrasquad game with India A members in Perth. “It’s always, ‘how strong will the opposition be?’ That’s the first question you ask (planning a tour game),” he said.
