Fast-bowling ace Mitchell Starc of Australia is looking forward to the challenge that India’s marquee batter, Virat Kohli, presents in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli has faced Starc across 19 innings, and Kohli has the better of the left-arm pacer, pocketing 291 runs at an average of 59.00 in Tests. Starc, in return, has been able to send back Kohli just four times.
Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Starc said he enjoys battling with Kohli but claimed the Indian batter dominated him in their previous tussle. “I enjoy my battles with Virat Kohli. we’ve played a lot of cricket against one another. I always have some good battles.”. I’ve managed to get him out once or twice, and he’s no doubt scored a fair few runs against me, so it’s always a good contest and one we both enjoy, said Starc while speaking to Star Sports. Actually, one of the most awaited showdowns in the series is that between Virat Kohli and Australia’s Steve Smith. All-rounder Glenn Maxwell wanted to see both batting legends going head to head with each other but said he was really keen on what such a scenario might do to the series. I think probably the way that the two superstar batters, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, are probably head-to-head, seeing how their dominance, I suppose, is asserted on the series and how much of an influence that has on who takes home the Border Gavaskar Trophy. One of those two is going to make a lot of runs, if not both of them, and it is going to be pretty exciting to watch the two of the finest players of our generation go head-to-head,” Maxwell told Star Sports.
The eagerly-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy test between India and Australia will begin on November 22, to be played in Perth for the first time.