Australian spin legend Nathan Lyon opened up on his battles with star India batter Virat Kohli, including one at the Adelaide Test back in 2014 in which the 36-year-old smashed twin centuries in his test captaincy debut and made the spinner one of the prime targets of his assault. After a horrid home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand and underwhelming Test numbers over the years, Virat will be making his fifth Test series tour of Australia under the toughest of circumstances, with his long-format legacy and spot on the line as India awaits a transition following ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
His battle with Lyon would be an interesting one to watch, given the star batter’s long-standing struggles against spin bowling lately, especially in spin-friendly conditions at home.
Virat has an incredible record against Lyon, scoring 529 runs against him in 32 innings, averaging 75.6 and striking at around 51. He has been dismissed seven times by Lyon.
Speaking about their battles on cricket.com.au, Nathan recalled how during his Adelaide special, Virat would talk about his “beautiful forehands”, comparable to Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer in order to get under the skin of Australian players.
“The battle that comes to me is the 2014 test at Adelaide Oval where he got the 100’s in both innings. I was bowling to him and he was batting that easily. He would come down to non-striker and just say Federer,” said Nathan.
“And I was like, OK, what is this and he kept doing it, kept doing it. Every time. Every time he would come down and he was like, Federer, Federer,” he added.
“And I said, mate, I do not know if I am wrong, but we are playing the wrong sport If you think you are Federer. And he goes ‘Nah, nah I got a beautiful forehand’. I was just like, OK, you are a decent player, if you can just sit there and do that mid-innings,” he concluded.
That 2014 tour to Australia, following a disastrous tour to England, was a turning point of Virat’s career, as he smashed 692 runs, averaging 86.50, with four centuries and a fifty. His best score in the series was 169.
MS Dhoni’s retirement in the series midway also saw him step up as a captain, which went on to change the direction of Indian cricket in coming years. Under Virat’s tenure, India won 40 Tests and improved significantly in overseas conditions.
Virat’s form from 2016-2019 is among the greatest peaks in the longest format, having made 4,208 runs in 43 Tests and 69 innings at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries and 10 fifties. It was during this period he smashed seven double centuries, the most by a captain in Tests, a record which still stands.
But things have changed a decade later. This year in 19 matches across international formats, Virat has just scored 488 runs at a shockingly low average of 20.33, with just two half-centuries in 25 innings and best score of 76.
Since 2020, Virat has faced an elongated lean patch in the whites, scoring 1838 runs from 34 Tests at an average of 31.68, comprising just two centuries and nine fifties.
Virat has had a horrific home Test season this year against Bangladesh and New Zealand, in which he scored just 192 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.33 with just one fifty. In the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, Kohli slipped out of the top-20 list for the first time in 10 years.
The trip to Australia could spark another fire in Virat’s mind as he has thrived against them historically. In 13 Tests in Australia, Virat has scored 1,352 runs at an average of 54.08, with six centuries and four fifties. His best score is 169.
Across all formats in Australia, Virat has scored 3,426 runs at an average of 56.16, with 11 centuries and 19 fifties in 70 innings. His best score is 169.
The much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia kicks off on November 22, with the first Test at Perth. The second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.
Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series’ penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
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