Geoff Lawson, who played for Australia in the past, believes that Australian fans will cheer and boo India’s star batsman Kohli in equal measure during the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar series.
Geoff Lawson acknowledged that Kohli’s sporting heart would be the alter ego of the faux evil character while Bumrah would remain the nice guy. This makes the scenario even more interesting where Kohli and his team defend the trophy which they have won since the year 2017 and which the Aussies are adamant to take back.
Mid-day quotes Geoff Lawson, “Virat Kohli will play the faux villain to Jasprit Bumrah’s likeable nature.” “And unlike Bumrah, who has the fast bowler’s privilege of spending half a life at fine leg, and so has good opportunities to win over the crowds, flush with compliments; Kohli will remain within the infield, appealing loudly, catching well, and trying to offend any Australian player willing to have a conversation with him — and there would be one or two such who will be.”The writer spoke about how Australians have a love – hate relationship towards Kohli. They admire people who go to the utmost extremes in footage only to avoid putting in room grabbers like Kohli.
“If he becomes an antagonist, they may give him some grief but you can bet you are ready to hear the loud fans no matter what if he makes 50s and 100s. He has developed an affinity with Australian conditions since the first time he toured the country 13 years ago. The bounce and pace catered for his two footed adeptness, but come 2024, the constant nagging question is, does he still have the sharpness required to take on the Australian’s bowling attack, on home … turf? I wouldn’t count him out.”
While India has an overall an inferior head to head record in Test matches against Australia, in recent times the Border-Gavaskar trophy has been very hard fought. They have held on to the trophy for three successive series including two of them in Australia. Still, Lawson feels the time has come to say goodbye to these tours.
Nonetheless, ‘Geoff Lawson observed, “Although Pat Cummins may have a lot of gentle smiles, he is a real competitor by nature.’ Attempts can be made to quote some of the Australian players as having some unfinished business. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been in the custody of the BCCI for the last ten years; let’s return it back in on the shelves of the trophy room located in Jolimont, which is cricket Australia’s headquarters in Victoria. Australia may have the World Test Championship with them though there is no winning of a Home Series against India against that Australia the crown would merely occupy an unstable perch.’
Such Australian players captured Australian Border-Gavaskar Trophy of Test cricket having been the middle-order batsman, Lawson who played as a Test cricket for Australia for 46 matches and One Day Internationals for 79 matches from 1980 – 1989 do not ultra pride Australia archrival.
