cricket

Updated: Dec 06, 2018 01:53 IST

Skipper Virat Kohli was at his scary best during the final net session ahead of first Test against Australia in Adelaide, starting Thursday. The way Kohli was middling the ball during training made a few former and current greats stand up and take notice.

India skipper Virat Kohli in the Adelaide Oval nets today (watch with the sound on).@alintaenergy | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/OnhH5i7xkP — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 4, 2018

You think his middling a few😳😃 — Allan Donald (@AllanDonald33) December 4, 2018

Don’t think it used to sound like that off my bat....🤭😂 https://t.co/a9JnjEEvpC — Paul Collingwood (@Colly622) December 4, 2018

Ridiculous 🔥 — Sam Billings (@sambillings) December 4, 2018

The video of Kohli perfectly middling the ball during the particular net session was uploaded by cricket.com.au and their post read: “India skipper Virat Kohli in the Adelaide Oval nets today (watch with the sound on).”The comments started to flood in once the video went viral and legendary South African bowler Alan Donald was among the first to react and he wrote: “You think his middling a few”.Former England skipper Paul Collingwood made a rather cheeky comment and he wrote: “Don’t think it used to sound like that off my bat....”England batsman Sam Billings also let his feeling known and he wrote: “Ridiculous”.

An Indian team brimming with confidence will aim to finally shed the poor travellers’ tag when it takes on a circumspect Australia in what is being perceived as the tourists’ best opportunity to win a Test series Down Under in 70 years.

While the narrative remained same during the earlier tours of South Africa (1-2) and England (1-4), Virat Kohli and his men will like to walk the talk as India’s tough cycle of away assignment ends with this four-Test series beginning at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

The series is even more important for Kohli as it would also define his legacy as a leader having already established himself as world’s premier batsman. India’s past Test record in Australia is quite abysmal. In 44 Tests on Australian soil, they have only managed five wins thus far. In 70 years and over 11 tours, only two drawn series, under Sunil Gavaskar in 1980-81 and with Sourav Ganguly in charge in 2003-04 is more a reflection of temperament of touring sides over the years rather than quality.