The 2014 Border-Gavaskar Trophy changed the face of Indian cricket forever. Even though India returned home losing the series 1-2, they never really looked at Australia as intimidating as they once were. At the center of the change was a certain Virat Kohli, whose reluctance to accept the established order, made him such a fierce character. 

One of the most interesting and memorable duels of the series was between Kohli and Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson. The duo engaged in verbal duels more than once, stirring the pot for a bigger rivalry in later years. However, a decade on, Johnson seems to be appreciating the former Indian skipper more than he did then. 

“One of Kohli’s attributes stood out early to me above all others – he was up for the fight!” Johnson wrote in a column for The West Australian.

“That kind of aggressive attitude was something we had rarely seen from an Indian player at that point. We were used to giving it but didn’t always get it back in return. He took his team with him as well, so it’s not an understatement to say that Kohli changed the face of Indian cricket, taking a new generation of players and showing them how to play tough cricket.”

Out of all the duels that happened between the duo, the run-out attempt on his followthrough resulted in a bigger controversy. Kohli charged up to Johnson for trying to physically harm him. Kohli was all charged up and scored 169 runs to help India draw the Test – but the former Aussie pacer admitted that he didn’t throw the ball with the intention of harming him.

“I was legitimately trying to run him out but he didn’t like what I did. He made some comments in the media that night about having no respect for me as a player, which annoyed me.

“We got him off guard early and had him playing at a ball he didn’t need to in frustration, and unfortunately, we dropped him on not many. He then focussed and harnessed his energy and piled on the runs – all 169 of them.

“I also remember the cover drives, the pull shots, and the urgency of his running between wickets. One of the best players in the world playing me with so much time, I think I even said ‘good shot’ in my head a few times after being driven down the ground,” Johnson added.

Kohli is currently at an all-time low in his Test career, having averaged less than 30 in the last five years. The invincibility that marked his career once is gone now. However, Johnson feels that Kohli will feel at home in the upcoming series.

“I wonder if the situation will give him all the determination he needs or if it will all be too much for him. As a fan now watching on, maybe I’d like to see him make one more Test ton in Australia. As his adversary from a decade ago, maybe not. Ultimately, I want to see the best against the best and a series played with all the fire and urgency that has come to mark this great rivalry. And I know that’s where Virat will feel right at home,” added Johnson.

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