India vs Australia: Virat Kohli Will Come Back 'Bigger And Stronger', Says Mitchell Starc

Virat Kohli failed to continue his phenomenal batting form in the first Test against Australia in Pune, scoring a total of 13 runs, as the visitors cruised to a thumping 333-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. India suffered spectacular batting collapsed in both their innings, with Mitchell Starc's dismissals of Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli early in India's innings acting as the catalyst of India's downfall. Ahead of the second Test in Bengaluru, Starc has cautioned his teammates against Kohli, who he said will come back 'bigger and stronger'.

Kohli fell for a duck in the first innings, and could only muster 13 runs in the second, with India managing a combined total of 212 runs from their two innings.

Guilty of chasing Starc's wide delivery outside the off-stump, Kohli gave away a catch to Peter Handscomb at first slip in the opening innings and the batting soon fell apart on a sharply turning wicket.

"We know (Kohli) is going to be another key wicket for the rest of the series. There's six more times we've got to get him out to really cement this series," Starc told reporters.

"We know he'll come back bigger and stronger, but he's one I'll take over Pujara at the moment," Starc said when asked to rate the importance of his twin strikes in Pune.

Starc and Kohli are former team-mates for the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Royal Challengers Bangalore, and the Australian is well aware of how dangerous the Indian skipper can be once he gets his eye in.

"He's a class player, we all know that. He's scored a mountain of runs already this year. We're going to have to be wary of that Virat comeback," Starc said of Kohli, who has scored double centuries in four successive series.

"We are really happy that it happened that way for us, but we know that one Test is not going to win us the series. It's three important Test matches to go."

After the next Test in Bangalore, the two teams are also due to play in Ranchi and Dharamsala.

(With inputs from AFP)