As India resume rivalries with Australia, the focus will undoubtedly be on home skipper Virat Kohli, who has a chance to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI centuries record on Indian terrain. The former Mumbai batsman has 20 ODI centuries in 164 games, one more than the current Indian captain. Were Kohli to get a century in the first ODI against Australia, he will have as many tons as Tendulkar, but having done so in just 93 home matches.
Kohli was instrumental in India’s last home series against Australia, scoring a brilliant century which almost helped his team get over the line. The Indian skipper has eight ODI centuries against the Aussies so far, and will be optimistic of adding to that tally in the three-match home series.
Speaking ahead of the first clash, the Indian skipper was eager to play this three-match ODI series, despite 2020 being the year of the T20 World Cup. “We along with Australia are probably the top two sides in the world as far as balance is concerned, so whether it’s relevant or irrelevant that’s for people to decide, but as players, we are excited to play Australia, a full-strength Australia in our conditions to test ourselves against the best,” Kohli said in the pre-match press conference.
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The 31-year-old also said that he would be open to playing a day-night pink ball Test when India travel to Australia to play a Test series in 2021. “ Look we played the day-night Test here, we were pretty happy with how it went and it has become a very exciting feature of any Test series and we are absolutely up to playing day-night Tests," Kohli told reporters ahead of the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia.
"We are absolutely up for the challenge and whether its Gabba, Perth doesn't matter to us. We do have the skill sets now to compete against anyone in the world anywhere in any format of the game," Kohli added.
Feature image courtesy: Punit Paranjpe/ AFP
