IND vs AUS: Michael Clarke Warns Australia, Sledging Virat Kohli Could Fuel His Fire in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Michael Clarke noted that Virat Kohli has been very successful in Australia and will aim to carry that form into the upcoming series. He emphasized that Kohli needs to be India’s top scorer if they hope to win. For Australia, controlling Kohli’s impact in the first Test in Perth will be crucial.

Michael Clarke spoke about the sledding of Virat Kohli in the upcoming Test series and said:

Virat Kohli has had a lot of success in Australia – six hundred in 13 Test matches if I remember right. He still has the game. He will be hungry and he will know the conditions will suit him. I am very sure he will score the maximum runs for India if they are to win or do well in this series. As an Australian, I’d want Australia to keep him quiet. If he gets runs in the first game, he will get runs all series and will make it count. He loves the fight, mate, and loves getting into the action. See the build-up around him. All of this will pump him up for sure.

Clarke believes sledding Virat Kohli is a bad idea because the Indian star thrives on confrontation and it will only motivate him further. He also doubts that Pat Cummins and the Australian team would try to provoke Kohli, as they know it would only benefit the Indian player and hurt their own chances.