“Goal from our point of view was generally to get Kohli riled up as soon as he came out to bat”- Mitchell Johnson recalls battles with Virat Kohli

Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has recalled his battle with Virat Kohli on the 2014 tour. Kohli is known to take the bull by its horns and he was ready to take the attack against Johnson. The Indian talisman scored 692 runs in four Test matches at an unbelievable average of 86.50 on the 2014 tour of Australia.

On the other hand, Johnson scalped 13 wickets in three Test matches at an average of 35.54. Australia registered a 2-0 win and it was the last time when they won a Test series against India.

Johnson wrote in his column for the Western Australian, “Most of our differences stemmed from the Boxing Day Test in 2014, when a ball I threw hit him on the body. I was legitimately trying to run him out but he didn’t like what I did. He made some comments in the media that night about having no respect for me as a player, which annoyed me. The goal from our point of view was generally to get Kohli riled up as soon as he came out to bat and take his focus away from his skills. Get him annoyed and get him playing a big shot early.”

“In that Test match at the MCG we got him off guard early and had him playing at a ball he didn’t need to in frustration and unfortunately we dropped him on not many. He then focussed and harnessed his energy and piled on the runs – all 169 of them. When bowling to him, I can remember thinking we had to get him early or else we could be in trouble. If you didn’t get Kohli in the first 10 or so balls, he would often make you pay,” he continued.

“I also remember the cover drives, the pull shots and the urgency of his running between wickets. One of the best players in the world playing me with so much time, I think I even said ‘good shot’ in my head a few times after being driven down the ground,” Johnson added.

Johnson said he enjoyed his intense battles with Virat Kohli as the Indian batter kept attacking him.

“I had a well-publicised personal rivalry with Kohli. We had many interactions on the field and I enjoyed it. While I didn’t know him off the field, on the field we probably played the game in a similar way – taking the game on and not backing down. I would become frustrated during some of our battles, but I also enjoyed that he kept coming at me,” Johnson wrote in his column for the Western Australian.

“It’s always a nice feeling to get one of the best out, and likewise, I’m sure he enjoyed taking me down and hitting me for a four or a six. Some don’t like that style of cricket and prefer there’s no chat with the opposition, but I enjoyed that part of the game,” he added.

Kohli has scored 2042 runs in 25 Test matches against Australia at an average of 47.48, including eight centuries. Kohli has even better numbers while playing in Australia as he has scored 1352 runs in 13 Test matches at an impressive average of 54.08, including six centuries.