Virat Kohli, Australia, and anger—these three words have an unavoidable connection, whenever Virat Kohli visits Australia or when the team comes to India, controversies often come out, and Virat Kohli’s anger tends to make headlines. One such incident occurred recently before the IND vs AUS 4th Test, at the Melbourne airport, where pictures of him with his family were taken without permission. Kohli was visibly angry and lashed out at the media. It was not the first time that this had happened, as there’s a history of media, crows, and Aussie players’ actions making Kohli angry, only for them to regret it later. There’s a pattern where the media attempts to provoke him, and it backfires on them. Let’s take a look at some of the major incidents when the Australian media or players made the Indian star batter angry, and how it backfired.
2012 Sydney: A controversial moment for Virat Kohli
During the 2012 Sydney Test, the Australian crowd provoked Virat Kohli, making him very angry. He was involved in a controversial moment when he showed the middle finger to the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This action led to a fine by the ICC. Kohli later apologized to the match referee, but it made him furious. However, in the Adelaide Test that followed, Kohli scored a brilliant hundred. It was a successful series for him, as he scored 300 runs in 8 innings, making him India’s top scorer in the series and showing that Australia should be wary of him in the future.
Kohli vs Johnson and Haddin (2014-15)
In the 2014-15 series, Kohli had a heated exchange with Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin. The incident only added fuel to the fire, but it turned out to be a memorable series for the Indian star. Kohli scored back-to-back centuries, 150 in the first innings and 141 in the second. Even though India lost the first two matches and drew two, Kohli’s performance helped India draw the series 2-2. He ended the series with 692 runs in 18 innings, becoming the second-highest run-scorer, behind Steve Smith.
Kohli vs Steve Smith (2017)
In 2017, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Bengaluru, there was a controversial moment between Virat Kohli and Steve Smith. Smith had consulted with his non-striker Peter Handscomb during an LBW review, which Kohli interpreted as cheating. This led to a heated exchange between the two. However, Kohli won that series 2-1, and India defeated Australia in the second Test as well.
Virat vs Tim Paine (2018-19)
During the 2018-19 series in Australia, Tim Paine, the Australian captain, made Kohli very angry with his comments. Paine mocked Kohli with taunts about his head, which escalated tensions. The on-field umpires had to intervene, but it only made Kohli more furious. Kohli responded by scoring 123 runs in the Perth Test and 82 runs in the Melbourne Test, helping India seal a historic 2-1 series victory – their first-ever Test series win in Australia.
Will Kohli find his form in the 2024-25 Series?
Currently, Kohli is not in his best form. With the Australian media controversy surrounding him, he’s looking for a spark. In the first three Tests of the current series, he has scored just one century in Perth, and hasn’t posted big scores in the other matches. This could be the time when the “King” finds his rhythm again. Will the anger from past encounters motivate him to return to his best form? Only time will tell.
