INDIA vs AUSTRALIA: PRESENTING THE MAJOR PLAYER BATTLES

Virat Kohli has gone 36 innings in the longest format without a century. His last ton came versus Bangladesh in November 2019. Since then, Kohli has piled up 917 runs at a poor average of 26.2...

India and Australia will resume their high-octane rivalry in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series, starting February 9 in Nagpur. India have dominated the scenes of late versus the Aussies, winning the 2017 series at home and then earning two successive away series wins Down Under. One expects a stern show between the two top sides, who are also the favorites to battle it out in the ICC World Test Championship final in June. With plenty at stake in the series, the onus will be on the star players of both sides and their battles on offer. Ahead of the 4-match series, we decode the key player battles in this regard.

VIRAT KOHLI vs NATHAN LYON: Virat Kohli has gone 36 innings in the longest format without a century. His last ton came versus Bangladesh in November 2019. Since then, Kohli has piled up 917 runs at a poor average of 26.2. Kohli will have his task cut out in the upcoming series versus Nathan Lyon. Off-spinner Lyon has 460 scalps under his belt and will look to keep the star Indian batter under wraps. Kohli and Lyon’s battle has been interesting in the whites. As per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli has mustered 410 runs in 25 innings against Lyon. He carries an average of 58.57. However, the right-arm spinner has dismissed Kohli on seven occasions.