Mitchell Starc says Virat Kohli will come all guns blazing in the remainder of the Test series

Australian speedster Mitchell Starc might have won the opening battle with Team India captain Virat Kohli but the fast bowler feels that Kohli will come back strongly in the remaining 3 Tests and the battle has just begun. Starc was the one who triggered the Indian collapse in Pune where he removed Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in quick succession after which Steve O’ Keefe took charge and derailed the hosts’ progress.

While India was bundled out for 105 in the 1st innings, they were shot out for 107 in their 2nd essay which handed the Australians their first Test win on Indian soil in 13 years time. Kohli who recently became the only batsman in Test history to smash 4 double centuries in 4 consecutive series when he made a double century against Bangladesh had a rare failure in Pune where he was dismissed for a duck and 13 respectively in both the innings.

In the 1st innings, Kohli played a wide delivery from Mitchell Starc away from his body and edged it straight to Peter Handscomb at 1st slip. In the 2nd innings, an error of judgement cost his wicket as O’Keefe rattled his stumps with a straighter delivery. “We know (Kohli) is going to be another key wicket for the rest of the series. There’s six more times we’ve got to get him out to really cement this series,” Starc was quoted as saying by Deccan Chronicle.

When asked who was the more prized wicket among Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli Starc said, “We know he’ll come back bigger and stronger, but he’s one I’ll take over Pujara at the moment.” Starc and Kohli share a good rapport as are former teammates from Royal Challengers Bangalore and Starc is well aware what Kohli can do once he gets his eye in.

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“He’s a class player, we all know that. He’s scored a mountain of runs already this year. We’re going to have to be wary of that Virat comeback. We are really happy that it happened that way for us, but we know that one Test is not going to win us the series. It’s three important Test matches to go,” Starc said.

The last three tests of the series are scheduled to be played in Bangalore, Ranchi and Dharamsala.