India will play Australia in the opening game of the pivotal five-match series for the prized Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth's Optus Stadium, on November 22. Virat Kohli, the superstar batter is one of the guys who everyone will be watching. He enters the competition after a string of lacklustre performances in the longest format.
Virat just managed 93 runs in 3 games during the whitewash by New Zealand at home. He will therefore be eager to get back to his best during the series against Australia. At Perth, he stands at the doorsteps of history.
Kohli needs 60 runs to create history
As for now, Virat Kohli has 140 runs in Perth's Optus Stadium. He will become the first visitor batter to reach 200 runs at Optus Stadium if he scores 60 runs in the opening Test. With 174 runs, West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite is currently the visitor hitter with the highest runs in Optus Stadium history. To become the visiting batter to score the most runs at the venue, Virat Kohli must hit 35 runs in the opening Test.
Virat eyes to surpass Sachin and Ponting
Virat Kohli needs 350 runs to surpass Ricky Ponting as the third-highest run scorer in international cricket. First and second on the list are Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara, respectively. To become the Indian batter with the most Test hundreds in Australia, He just needs to add one more ton to the tally. Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli are currently tied on six hundred.
Given that India's batting order needs a leader in Rohit Sharma's absence from the first Test due to the birth of his second child, Kohli's efforts could be crucial in the BGT. All eyes will be on Kohli to take the lead and quiet critics with an unforgettable performance against a strong Australian team as India gets ready for the series.
