Can Australia series transform Virat Kohli's fortunes with bat? Here's what Ravi Shastri believes

Virat Kohli's love for playing in Australia is unmatched. The ace batsman has always been at his vintage best while playing against Australia where he can trust the bounce and it suits his batting style. 

It was in Australia where a 23-year-old Kohli announced his arrival in sparkling fashion by scoring his first test century in Adelaide where others failed to contribute. 

However, things have not been the same for Kohli in test cricket for the last 5 years as he has scored around 1,838 runs at an average of just 32 in 60 innings with 2 hundreds and 9 fifties to his name. 

His performance in 2024 has also not been great. With a modest average of 22.72 across six matches, he has scored 221 runs with just one half-century in his last 10 innings.

In 2014, Kohli was put under the radar for his performances. Fans witnessed how in England (in the same year), Kohli notched up a mere 134 runs in 10 innings which exposed his weakness and vulnerability. 

Four months later in December 2014, after making a few batting adjustments, Kohli roared back to form by scoring 692 runs in Australia, which is the most runs scored by an Indian till date in the continent. He scored 4 hundred.  

Now, as the star batsman is struggling again, former Indian coach Ravi Shastri has backed Kohli to score runs in the upcoming test series against Australia. 

"You mellow with age, don't you? But I think at the start of the Test series, you might just see Kohli firing again. He needs to be. I'd like to see him like that again," Shastri said.

Shastri believes that the intense rivalry with Australia could reignite Kohli's competitive edge, transforming his fortunes with the bat.

The 5-match test match series between India and Australia will begin on November 22, with the first game scheduled to be played at Optus Stadium in Perth.