"Isko Main Itna Maarunga...": Virat Kohli Recalls Bitter Rivalry With Australia Pacer

India's 2014-15 Test series in Australia is one to remember for Virat Kohli. Not only he shone with the bat Down Under but also became India's Test captain, replacing the great MS Dhoni during the tour. Kohli was the top-scorer for the Indian side in the four-match Test series with 692 runs to his name, being only behind Australia's Steve Smith's tally of 769. Kohli kicked off with a century each in both the innnigs of the first Test that was played at Adelaide Oval. In the next game at The Gabba in Brisbane, Kohli failed to replicate his heroics but he made a good comeback with a ton each in Melbourne and Sydney in the third and final Test matches that folllowed.

A video is going viral on social media in which Kohli recalls the series and his tussle with Australia's then pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson.

"During the first match of the tour, the very first ball of Johnson hit me on the head. Back then at first, it was complete disbelief. For 60 days I had been visualising that I'd play like this and that, but there was a complete change of plans after that blow. It was a heavy blow and my vision started dropping as my left eye started swelling, but I did not notice it back then," Virat Kohli was heard saying in the viral video.

"And what happened at lunch was that, these are the things I feel thankful for, there were basically two options, fight or flight. And my reaction was obviously one that went, how dare he hit me on the head?

"Mene kaha isko mein itna maarunga iss series mein (I said I'll smack him around in the series and that is what I did," Kohli revealed.

"Isko mein itna maarunga naa, and that's exactly what I did"

Kohli saab talking about the 2014 Australia tour and his battle against Mitchell Johnson pic.twitter.com/geP35IUz08

— Aani (@wigglyywhoops) April 11, 2024

Kohli was the stand-in captain of the Indian team in the first game in the absence of Dhoni, who returned in the second and third matches in his the role. Dhoni retired from the format after that and Kohli was appointed as full-time Test skipper of India from the fourth match vs Australia.

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Virat Kohli Mitchell Johnson