Insight into Mitchell Starc's rivalry with Virat Kohli: 'He's no doubt scored a few runs against me…'

New Delhi: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has expressed his excitement for the upcoming on-field duels against Indian batting sensation Virat Kohli. Having previously been teammates at Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Royal Challengers Bengaluru) during the 2015 season of the Indian Premier League, the two will once again cross paths in two months when India embarks on a tour of Australia for a five-match Test series as part of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

The first Test is scheduled at Perth on November 22. “I enjoy my battles with Virat Kohli, it’s because we’ve played a lot of cricket against one another,” Starc told Star Sports. “I always have some good battles. I’ve managed to get him out once or twice and he’s no doubt scored a fair few runs against me so it’s always a good contest and one we both enjoy,” added the left-arm pacer.

Earlier, Starc’s teammate Glenn Maxwell admitted he was thrilled about the prospect of watching modern-day greats Virat Kohli and Steve Smith battle for supremacy in the BGT. Kohli and Smith are among the ‘Fab Four’ batters of the modern generation, alongside England’s Joe Root and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.

“I think the way that the two superstar batters, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, probably head-to-head. Seeing how their dominance I suppose is asserted on the series and how much of an influence that has on who takes home the Border Gavaskar Trophy,” Maxwell told Star Sports.

“One of those two is going to make a lot of runs, if not both of them, and it’s going to be pretty exciting to watch the two of the finest players of our generation go head-to-head,” he added. Both Kohli and Smith are former captains, and have indulged in fiery on field exchanges early in their careers but their relationship has evolved in recent times.

Smith recently said that Kohli was an Australian amongst the Indian players in terms of attitude. “I believe Virat Kohli is Australian in thoughts and action. The way he gets into a battle, the way he gets into the challenge and tries to get on top of the opposition. He’s probably the most Australian of the Indian players, I’d say,” Smith had said.

India travel to Australia for the marquee five-Test series, starting in Perth on November 22. Since 2014-15, Australia have failed to lay their hands on the Border Gavsakar Trophy, with India winning four consecutive series including the historic triumphs Down Under in 2018-19 and 2020-21.