But according to former India head coach Ravi Shastri, there was one moment during the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he actually had to step in and stop Kohli from taking things too far during an intense face-off with Mitchell Johnson.
Speaking alongside Kohli on a podcast for the batter’s lifestyle brand One8, Shastri recalled the heated incident from the Melbourne Test, one of the defining contests of that famous tour.
“Never… no once, once. I’ll tell you about it,” said Shastri as Kohli burst into laughter, clearly aware of the story that was about to be revisited.
“This was Melbourne, right. And he and Mitch were constantly having a go, because first ball he played he hit him on the head,” Shastri said, recalling Johnson’s aggressive spell against Kohli during that fiery series.
The incident came shortly after Johnson had struck Kohli on the helmet early in the innings, adding even more intensity to an already charged rivalry between the two players.
“And he’s off to a start at lunchtime. Both going up… as he enters the dressing room, he’s looking at Mitch like this. I had to catch him like this, come here, come here, focus on your batting. I think of those days and sometimes your hair stands,” Shastri added.
That Border-Gavaskar series ultimately became one of the most important tours of Kohli’s Test career. While Australia won the series, the tour marked Kohli’s emergence as India’s next long-term leader and one of the most dominant batters in world cricket.
The right-hander was unstoppable throughout the series, piling up 692 runs in four Tests at an astonishing average of 86.50. He smashed four centuries in eight innings, including a highest score of 169, announcing himself as a batting force in Australian conditions.
The tour also laid the foundation for Kohli’s intense yet iconic relationship with Australian cricket, where the pressure, aggression and crowd hostility often brought out the very best in him.
