Dean Jones reasons why Australian fans dislike Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is as similar to the Australians as one can be. He matches them with the attitude, he never back down approach, his body language, his language largely, the way he handles the situation and carries himself. When someone so strikingly similar to them clashed with the Aussie’s sparks were expected to fly off. They did and the Australian team targeted him ahead of the start of the series, downplaying the rest of the team by calling him the head of the snake.

He wasn’t bothered, when he failed to get the runs but others did it for the team and they beat Australia in the Bangalore Test, he said that he was happy with the opposition focusing on him and the team winning. The Australian fans seem to deeply dislike Kohli and the reason is quite evident, he is to them what they are to others and they definitely don’t like it when someone gives it back.

Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald stated “Kohli is almost as disliked as English captain Douglas Jardine” and reasoned. “Kohli is now Australia’s No. 1 enemy or the “head of the snake”, as Nathan Lyon has put it. The Australian boys are quite prepared to take it up to him and this series has been compulsive viewing. This is what Test match cricket is about. It’s the same when we play England for the Ashes or when India meet Pakistan,” Jones wrote.

“Test cricket is at its best when there is an edge to it. With the extra interest from fans and the media in a big series such as this, the contest seems to have become personal, very personal,” he added.

Jones said that he is a Kohli fan as well and loves to watch him bat and captain the Indian team. He also likes the character the 28-year-old is.

“I am an unabashed Kohli fan. I commentate all around the world and I love watching this kid bat and lead his team. He is such an interesting character. Away from the cricket, he is quite a humble kid. Always polite, and always asking questions on how he is batting and what I am up to. He just loves the game and the challenges that go with it.”

Virat is someone who works really hard on his game, to iron out his flaws and improve it to a level where he can continue to set benchmarks.

“Kohli believes in hard work and that he can do anything on a cricket field. He loves getting into hot spots on the field to make sure he is in his opponents’ face. Kohli is the only captain I know who pumps up the crowd, asking them for their support. He knows the importance of the Indian fans’ input and how it can help his team’s performance. He doesn’t just want 11 Indian players in the Australian faces, he demands the same from the 30,000-strong Indian crowds. Make this ground the most hostile environment the Australians will experience. It’s no different to what the MCG crowds have given to opposition teams.”Jones further wrote.

Here is why the Aussie fans expressly dislike Virat Kohli:

“So why don’t Australian fans like him? I feel he is almost as disliked as villainous English captain Douglas Jardine, who started the Bodyline series in 1932-33. Is this what needs to happen for Australia and India to build up their rivalry? If so, I have no problem with it. I love the aggression that’s being produced in the media and from the fans. Even the respective CEOs from each country have offered their 10 cents’ worth. It’s game on,”