Ravi Shastri Spills Inside Details On The Only Time He Dragged Virat Kohli Away From A Fight
Recalling the 2014 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, Ravi Shastri was recently asked if he ever had to stop Virat Kohli from picking a fight.
Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri formed one of the most successful captain-coach duos in the history of Test cricket, with the Indian cricket team topping the ICC Test rankings for five consecutive years (from 2016 to 2021). In what was a golden era for the team in Test cricket, India registered back-to-back Test series wins in Australia, with Kohli and Shastri orchestrating the triumphs. Recalling the 2014 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, Shastri was recently asked if he ever had to stop Kohli from picking a fight.
The 2014 is famous for Kohli's captaincy debut and his iconic battles with former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson.Â
Speaking on a podcast for Kohli's lifestyle brand One8, Shastri revealed the only time he had to pull the former India captain away from getting into a tussle.
"Never... no once, once. I'll tell you about it," said Shastri as Kohli laughed alongside him.
"This was Melbourne, right. And he and Mitch were constantly having a go, because first ball he played he hit him on the head. And he's off to a start at lunchtime. Both going up... as he enters the dressing room, he's looking at Mitch like this. I had to catch him like this, come here, come here, focus on your batting. I think of those days and sometimes your hair stands," he recalled.
Kohli had a bittersweet tour of Australia in 2014. While he scored over 600 runs during the four-match series-including his twin tons in Adelaide-India lost the series 2-0.
Kohli led the team in the final Test in Sydney after MS Dhoni stepped down as captain following the Boxing Day Test. That match had ended in a draw, effectively sealing the series win and handing the bragging rights to Australia.
Kohli ended the series with four centuries and a fifty, establishing himself as a crowd favourite in Australia.
He would also play a pivotal role as India went on to win the next four Test series against Australia, including two tours Down Under.
Virat Kohli
India Cricket Team
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