Virat Kohli back to Perth! Can he reclaim the glory?

Star India batter Virat Kohli returns to Perth, where it all started. It was way back in 2012 that Kohli first made headlines with his fiery batting. Now, older, mature and less consistent, he returns to Perth again as India prepares for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener as well.

Kohli’s journey at the WACA started way back in 2012 when, as a 23-year-old, he responded to the criticism, top-scoring with 44 on a tough and bouncy WACA pitch, he showed his skill, scoring 75 in the second innings despite India’s defeat as well. Now, in 2024, he once again returned to the same ground, looking to find his old form.

However, Virat Kohli’s recent performances, with only two centuries in five years and a poor average, have raised eyebrows as well. Meanwhile, Australian media, which is supportive of the home team, has backed Kohli since their arrival. This support contrasts with the past incidents, especially that which Kohli faced after he clashed with a Sydney crowd.

Notably, in 2012, Australian players sledged Kohli but he scored a century in Adelaide, saying, “Responding verbally and then scoring a century makes it even sweeter.” He also criticized the SCG crowd for their behavior, adding, “Don’t get drunk and abuse players.”

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Virat Kohli returns to Perth to regain his form

While Perth and Adelaide in 2012 played a key role in Kohli’s rise, it was Adelaide in 2014 that helped him seal his place in the side. Kohli scored centuries in both innings, including a stunning 141 under tough conditions. His knock grabbed eyeballs and fans praised Kohli’s aggressive spirit, especially how he played against Mitchell Johnson, alongside his fiery 169 at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test.

In 2018, at Optus Stadium, he scored 123 off 257 balls. Although India lost that Test, his leadership helped them win the series 2-1 as well. In December 2020, Kohli played only the first Test before returning home for the birth of his child as well. He scored 74 off 180 balls before being run out. However, India won the series 2-1 under Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy in his absence.

Virat Kohli could break a few records

Meanwhile, he is on the verge of achieving several milestones in the upcoming five-match Test series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, he can go past the former India head coach Rahul Dravid on the list of India's highest run-getters in the longer format against Australia. Currently, Kohli has 2042 runs and needs only 125 runs to overtake Dravid on the elite list.

However, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has scored 3630 runs in 39 matches whereas VVS Laxman took 29 matches to score 2434 runs. Rahul Dravid smashed 2143 runs in 32 matches whereas star India batter Cheteshwar Pujara also scored 2074 runs in 25 matches so far as well. And, Virat Kohli has a great chance to surpass them as he has 2042 runs in his name so far.

It will be interesting to see how he performs in the place where it all began.