IND vs AUS: “He Was Up For The Fight!” – Mitchell Johnson Highlights Virat Kohli’s One Standout Attribute

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Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson opened up on his rivalry with Virat Kohli and how the batter changed Indian cricket, highlighting the star India batter's one standout attribute ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Writing for The West Australian, Johnson said that when Virat Kohli first came on to the scene, there were talks of him being the next Sachin Tendulkar and one of his standout traits was always being ready for a fight.

Unlike Tendulkar, he displayed a rare "aggressive attitude" not seen much in Indian cricketers and gave back Australians the taste of their own medicine like no other player.

"When Virat Kohli first came on the scene, I remember hearing about him before I saw him. Many were saying he was the next Sachin Tendulkar, even though we all knew Sachin could never be replaced.

"I was fortunate enough to play against both Indian legends in all formats and while there are some similarities, they were also very different. One of Kohli's attributes stood out early to me above all others - he was up for the fight!," said Mitchell.

"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. While the occasional player from India may have been combative in moments, Kohli really made it a part of his game," he added.

Johnson said that Kohli took his team with him really well and it would not be an understatement to say that he changed the face of Indian cricket and helped new generation of players find a way to play in tough conditions.

The bowler also noted that how at the back end of careers of legends like Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, a young Virat would push his teammates to go hard at training, especially while fielding. He noted that Virat would train the way he would play in a match.

"I remember hearing at the back end of Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag's careers, a young Kohli would push his teammates to go harder at training, particularly with fielding drills," said Mitchell.

"He would train like he played and pushed players around him to get better. Kohli was demanding but he is one of those players you want in your team because he has your back and that is important in team sports."

The bowler said that because of these things, he saw a difference in the Indian team which toured Australia in 2014-15, Johnson's last full Australian summer in cricket before retirement and Virat's first as a Test captain following MS Dhoni's retirement.

"They were competitive and confident they could beat us at home and while they did not do it that summer, won 2-0 by Australia over four Tests, that was the last time the Aussies have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," he said.

The legendary pacer said that the "Kohli way" has rubbed off on his teammates and set up the future as well. He also revisited his rivalry with Virat Kohli, which often left him with mixed feelings of frustration and enjoyment after each battle on the field.

"I had a well-publicised personal rivalry with Kohli. We had many interactions on the field and I enjoyed it. While I did not know him off the field, on the field we probably played the game in a similar way - taking the game on and not backing down.

"Some do not like that style of cricket and prefer there is no chat with the opposition, but I enjoyed that part of the game. I would become frustrated during some of our battles, but I also enjoyed that he kept coming at me. It is always a nice feeling to get one of the best out, and likewise, I am sure he enjoyed taking me down and hitting me for a four or a six," said Johnson.

The bowler revealed that a hit to Kohli's body by him started their rivalry during the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in 2014, when he was trying to get Virat run out. He also said that the goal was always to get Virat riled up through verbal confrontations and ruin his focus, forcing him into playing a bad shot.

"In that Test match at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) we got him off guard early and had him playing at a ball he did not 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," he added.