Kohli likes noisy house . . .
Virat Kohli admits he will miss the ‘‘magic’’ of playing in front of a crowd, in a concession that will not go unnoticed by Australia leading into the summer’s battle of the heavyweights.
The Australians believe the star batsman thrives on confrontation but there is every chance Kohli will be greeted by the sound of silence when he strides to the crease at empty stadiums for India’s tour later this year.
Australian crowds have a history of dialling up the abuse for visiting players. Kohli is not afraid to give it back, although he has mellowed as his standing in the game has risen.
He was docked half his match fee on his first tour of Australia in 2011-12 for flipping the bird to the SCG fans. On his last visit in 2018/19, he yelled to Perth fans ‘‘you f...ing beauty’’ while celebrating a wicket.
Though hopes are rising India will be able to play their scheduled test series in the summer, it is likely fans will be locked out of the series due to the coronavirus threat, something Kohli said he had given much thought to.
‘‘I honestly don’t know how everyone will be able to take that because we are used to playing in front of so many passionate people,’’ Kohli said on Indian TV network Star Sports.
‘‘It will be played at a very good intensity but that feel of the crowd connecting with the players and the tensions of the game, everyone feeling that tension around the stadium, those emotions are very difficult to recreate.
‘‘Things will still go on but I doubt you will feel something magical inside because of that atmosphere. You’ll play the sport how it’s supposed to be played but those magical moments, will be very difficult to come by.’’
The depth of Australia’s frustration with Kohli two seasons ago was captured in the documentary The Test, which charted the side’s rise from the ruins of the ball-tampering affair in South Africa to their defence of the Ashes last year in England.
Feeling his side was unable to return fire at Kohli because of the focus on their behaviour, coach Justin Langer lamented the ‘‘double standards’’ he felt were applied to the two sides.
‘‘I remember that afternoon feeling like a punching bag – we can’t fight back,’’ Langer said in reference to the fiery second test in Perth. ‘‘It felt like we had our hands behind our back, we just had to take it.’’
Australia’s game plan to Kohli was to give him nothing.
‘‘He’s either going to come out and look for a fight or he’s going to go to blokes he knows and try and be all mates with,’’ captain Tim Paine said. ‘‘Either way, I want him to be completely ignored. I don’t want anyone engaging with him, we just flat out ignore him.’’