"He's Australian in thoughts and actions.." Steve Smith on Virat Kohli ahead of BGT 2024-25

Steve Smith also revealed that he interacts with Virat Kohli through text messages.

Steve Smith has said that Virat Kohli’s aggression and his desire to dominate the opposition is very much like Australian players.

Through his performances for more than a decade and a half, combined with his demeanour, Kohli has earned massive respect among Australian cricketers, present and past, and the Australian public.

Apart from his dominance with the bat in Australia, captain Kohli led India to their maiden test series triumph Down Under in 2018/19. Then, on the 2020/21 tour, India won the series again, though with Kohli not being part of the last three tests.

On the upcoming tour, India will be looking for a hat-trick. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 could be the last test series in Australia for the 35-year-old.

Smith, who has shared the spotlight for the last decade with Kohli, hailed the former Indian captain for his attitude.

Speaking with Star Sports, Smith said, “I believe Virat Kohli is Australian in thoughts and action. The way he gets into a battle, the way he gets into the challenge and tries to get on top of the opposition. He’s probably the most Australian of the Indian players, I’d say.“

Steve Smith vs Virat Kohli rivalry in test:

Smith is currently ahead of Kohli in tests in terms of sheer numbers. Smith has 9685 runs at an average of 53 with 32 centuries, while Kohli has scored 8848 at an average of 49 with 29 tons.

Smith said that he doesn’t look at his competition with Kohli as a rivalry.

The Aussie batter said, “There’s no real, you know, I need to beat him or anything like that. It’s just about going out and playing and trying to score as many runs as I can and helping Australia have success and that’s what it’s all about.”

“We get on quite well, share messages every now and then and look, he’s a great guy and obviously a wonderful player. It’s going to be nice to come up against him again this summer.”

.@stevesmith49 describes @imVkohli in his own way, talks about his approach on the field and looks forward to face him in the #BorderGavaskarTrophy! 🏆Catch them in action in #BGTonStar, FRI 22 NOV onwards! 🏏 pic.twitter.com/29ruvJSUpk

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 10, 2024

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