"Virat Kohli making a hundred in the first Test, that scares me more"- Michael Clarke cautions Australia ahead of 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has opined that India's ace batter Virat Kohli scoring a century in the opening Test is a bigger worry for the hosts than losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth. The Aussies suffered a 295-run defeat to an inspired Indian outfit to trail the five-match series 0-1 heading into the second Test at Adelaide, starting December 6.
Kohli had been battling poor Test form coming into the Australia series, with a dismal three-match affair at home against New Zealand. The champion batter averaged under 16 with a lone half-century in six innings as India suffered an embarrassing 0-3 whitewash.
Kohli's dismal run continued when he was dismissed for only five runs in the first innings of the Perth Test. However, the 36-year-old bounced back in style with a sparkling 143-ball 100* in the second innings as India declared on 487/6 to set Australia a daunting target of 534.
When asked to predict India's leading scorer in the upcoming second Test, Clarke said on a local podcast (via X):
"When I think about losing the Test match, that's one thing. When I think about Virat Kohli making a hundred in the first Test, that scares me more. I am going to go with Virat as the leading run-scorer for India in this second Test."
It was Kohli's seventh Test century Down Under, enhancing his already impressive average to over 56 in 14 matches on Australian soil.
Adelaide, the venue for the second Test, has been his happy hunting ground in Tests, with three of his seven centuries in Australia coming there.
"I'm not a guy who hangs around for the sake of it" - Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli spoke about taking pride in playing for the country even at his advanced age and thanked his wife Anushka Sharma after breaking his form slump with the second innings century in the Perth Test.
The champion batter was the second centurion of the innings after Yashasvi Jaiswal, helping India hand Australia their first Test defeat at the Perth stadium.
Speaking to the local broadcasters minutes after his century, Kohli said (via The Indian Express):
"Anushka has been right by my side through thick and thin. She knows everything that goes on behind the scenes. Knows what goes on in the head when you're not performing well. I'm not a guy who hangs around for the sake of it. I take pride in performing for the country."
Virat Kohli's seventh century Down Under took him past the legendary Sachin Tendulkar for the most Test centuries by an Indian batter in Australia.
He also equaled Sunil Gavaskar's record for the most centuries (7) by an Indian batter in Tests in an away country.