The two sides of Virat Kohli’s legacy in Australia

Playing in what is almost certainly his last Test on these shores, Virat Kohli stuck the boot into Australia with one last act of pantomime villainy.

Every exceptional story needs the perfect villain. An antagonist so good to make the eventual triumph even sweeter.

And for years, no one has ever played that role on Australian shores better than Virat Kohli.

As his 18th and likely final Test down under came to an end on Sunday, his record sits alone in recent history.

Seven Test centuries in Australia – the most ever by an Indian batter. The only touring batter with more is England’s Jack Hobbs who played his final Test in 1930.

He is also ninth all-time for the most runs by a touring batter, with Sachin Tendulkar the only Indian above him.

But as he trudged off the SCG for the final time in Test cricket, for many Australians, his lasting legacy as one of the greatest touring batters ever has been tarnished.

Virat Kohli seemingly references Sandpapergate after Steve Smith's dismissal on day three.

With bat in hand, it has been a steady road to this point over the past four years. Since the start of 2020, Kohli has only averaged 30.72 with just three centuries to his name in 69 innings.

A defiant ton in Perth suggested there were signs of a resurgence, but he would only get to double digits three more times in the series with a top score of 36.

His form has regularly been called into question, particularly back home in India, but given his literal runs on the board, it’s no surprise that the team persevered.

However, given the way Kohli plays his cricket with a ‘take no prisoners’ approach, those lack of runs have come back to bite him this summer. And he hasn’t taken to it kindly.

The first major flash point was his run-in with Australia’s teenage debutant, Sam Konstas, on Boxing Day.

The brash bravado of the 19-year-old on his way to an eye-catching 60 was in part inspired by Kohli who he cites as one of his idols. In reality, it was a knock Kohli should have been proud of given the way the young Aussie went against the grain.

But in an attempt to get under his skin, Kohli went out of his way to bump into Konstas, leading with his shoulder and giving the teenager a unique welcome to Test cricket. It was a stunning display of desperation from the veteran, who could feel the series slipping away and responded in a way that saw him leave the MCG with 20 per cent less of his match fee.

And so began the unceremonious farewell tour for Kohli in Australia. The pantomime boos that are often reserved for those who Australians secretly admire suddenly became more sinister.

The theatrics continued in Sydney, with Kohli among many who chose to get in the face of Konstas following Usman Khawaja’s dismissal late on day one. Then on the final day as India faced a first series defeat in Australia since 2014-15, he stirred up the crowd even more by referencing the Cape Town sandpaper scandal to take the tensions up to boiling point.

“Kohli’s a wanker,” pockets of the crowd began to respond in unison.

It’s easy to understand why Kohli acts the way he does. He inspires his team, and his final day captaincy with Jasprit Bumrah off the field was one of the main reasons why India stayed in the hunt for a dramatic win in Sydney.

But to those who watched on in the stands, all they saw was a batter who averaged 23 this summer unnecessarily giving it to a teenager and acting without respect.

After he was dismissed in his final innings, boos could be heard from most bays of the SCG. But despite many of their frustrations, certain sections of the crowd near the Indian dressing room rose to applaud the final appearance of their ultimate tormentor.

It will be a similar feeling for the Australian players, who will remember the tenacious batter fondly—even Konstas’s family was seen taking photos with Kohli during their evening at Kirribilli House.

Yet, Virat Kohli had the chance to cement his legacy this summer. But instead of letting his bat do the talking, he got hot under the collar. And for many, that’s all they will remember of statistically one of the best to ever play in Australia.

Originally published as The two sides of Virat Kohli’s legacy in Australia