India stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah only had high praise and nothing else for Virat Kohli, who roared back into form by smashing his 30th Test ton in the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at the Optus Stadium, Perth. Speaking after India’s emphatic 295-run win to gain a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, Bumrah said that Kohli is an “experienced player” who knows how to make it count.
Kohli defied his critics in style as he brought up a century off 143 balls in the second innings to help India set a target of 534 for Australia. The right-handed batter made everyone once again believe that he knows how to take down Australia on their own backyard.
Heading into the Perth Test, Kohli was facing brickbats over his form, as he had not hit a single century in Tests in 2024. In the last six innings before the first match against Australia, Kohli was averaging just a little above 22. However, the experienced campaigner changed it all around in Perth.
“I have said this before that Virat Kohli doesn’t need us, it is we who need Virat Kohli. He is an experienced player, his 4th or 5th tour, so he knows best what his batting and calibre is like,” Bumrah said during the post-match press conference.
“Sometimes when you have a career this long and you play in so many tough scenarios that he has played in, performing in every match becomes a bit difficult. But he was always looking in great space in this match,” he added.
‘Kohli is in great space’
Jasprit Bumrah also gave his take on Kohli’s dismissal in the first innings, where he was dismissed for just 5. A rising Josh Hazlewood delivery got the better of Kohli.
“Obviously he got a great delivery in the first innings, but he was still in great space and he capitalised in the second innings,” said Bumrah.
“The second innings we needed an experienced batter who plays good himself and also allows the other batter to play freely. If at the start of the series a player like him gets some confidence, you cannot ask for anything more,” he added.
Virat Kohli now has seven Test centuries in Australia, and he is now at the second spot in the list of most Test centuries by an overseas batter Down Under.
Kohli has now scored more than 1,400 runs in the 14 matches he has played in Australia so far.
Coming back to the five-match series, India and Australia will now square off in the second Test, beginning December 6. The Adelaide Test will be contested under lights.
