India and Australia are set to take on each other in the final Test of the four-match series at Dharamshala from 25th March and all eyes will be once again on the Indian captain Virat Kohli, for more than one reasons. The 28-year-old has had a disastrous series with the bat having scored just 46 runs from 5 innings at an average of little over 9. Moreover, he is fighting against an injury and in his pre-match conference said he will only take the field if he is 100% fit. Throughout this series, the Indian captain has been attacked by the Australian media to an extent that former Indian captain called it an extension of their cricket team’s support staff. From Donald Trump to a Panda, Kohli has been compared with all.
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Here is everything he has been called in this series so far:
1. Donald Trump
A leading Australian daily compared Virat Kohli to US President Donald Trump. “Virat Kohli has become the Donald Trump of world sport. Just like President Trump, Kohli decided to blame the media as a means of trying to hide the egg smeared right across his face,” read an article in the Daily Telegraph.
Watch Virat Kohli’s press conference before the match:
2. A puppy, a kitten and a panda
Fox Australia’s Facebook account ran a poll titled, ‘Vettel of the Week’ in which it put Virat Kohli’s imaged alongside a kitten, a puppy and a panda. The caption of that post read as “Recent events have prompted a return of our Vettel of The Week award. Kids, ask your grandparents. The rest of you know the drill.”
3. Disrespectful
Former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy said that the Indian captain is disrespectful for his opponents. “I’m losing respect for him. He’s got to be a lot more respectful of his opponents. The stuff he did with Steve Smith was unacceptable,” Healy said in an interview.
4. Head of the snake
After picking up 8 wickets on Day 1 of the Bengaluru Test, off-spinner Nathan Lyon took on Virat Kohli. “Everybody wants to compete against the best and he [Kohli] is one of the best players in the world. He is obviously the head of the snake if you want to put it in Dale Steyn’s terms,” he said.
Watch Virat Kohli knocking the ball around in Dharamshala:
5. Frustrated
Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson who has received Kohli’s wrath on many occasions in the past called him frustrated. “He’s obviously quite passionate, but I just think he’s frustrated because he hasn’t scored runs and he’s letting his emotions get the better of him,” Johnson wrote in his blog on foxsports.com.
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6. AN AUSSIE
Out of all the comparisons made, this one was the most striking. Former Aussie skipper Michael Clarke said, “I always somehow find an Australian in him the way he plays and I absolutely love how he accepts challenges. It’s just two or three reporters who are trying to tarnish him but Virat shouldn’t be bothered.”
In an interview with cricket.com.au, Steve Waugh went on to say, “there’s probably elements of Ricky and myself in his captaincy, but having said that he’s his own man.” Whether the statements given by Michael Clarke and Steve Waugh are a thing of pride of Virat Kohli or a sign of embarrassment for the Australian media, is hard to say. In both the cases, they should be scared because all Indian fans know is that Kohli is a lion and there is nothing more dangerous than a wounded lion.
