Virat Kohli's flying kiss to his wife Anushka Sharma on Day 3 of the Perth Test after completing his century gave fans a perfect deja vu moment from India's 2015 Australia tour.
Ravi Shastri recalls Virat Kohli's flying kiss in 2015 Australia tour
Meanwhile, former India's head coach Ravi Shastri recently walked down the memory lane and recalled the same incident from Virat Kohli's 2015 tour of Australia during a discussion on Fox Cricket. Shastri disclosed that Kohli had requested permission to bring his then-girlfriend, Anushka Sharma, along on the tour. However, at the time, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had a policy that only permitted players' spouses to accompany them on overseas tours. But it was Shastri, who made a special request from BCCI to fulfill Kohli's wish then.
“I called up the BCCI and explained the situation. They understood and made an exception, allowing Anushka to join Virat. This decision made a world of difference,” Shastri said.
Anushka's presence brought out the best in Kohli in the 2015 Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Kohli, who was in form of his life then, went on to hammer a magnificent 169 runs in Melbourne. Right after completing his hundred, Kohli hurled a flying kiss from his bat to his then girlfriend Anushka, who was in attendance in the stand. Cut to 10 years later in 2024, Kohli recreated the same instance with Anushka, but this time in Perth.Drawing parallels between that century and Kohli's recent heroics in the ongoing Test series against Australia, Shastri also talked about the importance of emotional support. On Day 3 of the Perth Test, Kohli ended his long wait for a Test century, scoring an exceptional unbeaten 100 off 143 balls. With this he notched his 81st international century and 30th Test century, and seventh century on Australian soil, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of six.
"Seven hundreds in Australia. The big stage, the big ground, the bouncy tracks—there’s no better testament to Virat’s class and resilience,” Shastri said, lauding Kohli’s ability to thrive under pressure," Shastri added.
Kohli's century not only silenced critics who questioned his form in Test cricket but also brought a halt to his lean patch in Tests. Despite struggling with consistency in the previous five Test matches, managing only one half-century, Kohli broke the drought with a stunning show in Perth.
“This is ominous for the Australians. No overseas player in the last 15 years has batted in this fashion here. It’s a masterclass on technique and temperament,” Shastri concluded.
India kick off Border-Gavaskar Trophy series on a winning note
Talking about the match, India's tour of Australia started on a disastrous note with a first-innings collapse, being bowled out for a mere 150 runs. However, a stunning turnaround was on the cards. Led by an inspired bowling performance from stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed a five-wicket haul, India restricted Australia to 104 runs, gaining a crucial first-innings lead of 46 runs. In their second innings, India unleashed a batting masterclass. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul formed a record-breaking partnership of 201 runs, with Jaiswal scoring a magnificent 161 runs and Rahul contributing a solid 77. Kohli, in a much-awaited return to form, scored his 30th Test century, surpassing Don Bradman's record. India declared their innings at 487/6, setting Australia an imposing target of 534 runs. Australia's chase was short-lived, as they were bowled out for 238 runs, handing India a resounding 295-run victory.
