Former Australian opening batsman David Warner cautions his teammates about India’s ace batsman Virat Kohli’s batting style in Australia ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2025. The 38-year-old retired Aussie cricketer fears that Kohli could turn back the clock to his vintage days. His proven record in Australia would be a perfect opportunity to silence his critics by getting back to form.
India’s 0-3 historic loss to New Zealand makes them drop to second position in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. Consequently, the visitors would be aiming for their third consecutive BGT victory on Australian soil.
Especially, Virat Kohli with an outstanding average of 54.08, accumulated 1,352 runs in 13 test matches including 6 centuries. Warner feels that it could be a huge concern for the Pat Cummins-led test team to tackle Virat Kohli at home.
As the first test match commences on November 22 in Perth, David Warner fears that the same venue could assist the 36-year-old Indian batsman in bringing out his best batting skills. Also, Virat’s previous scores prove that he scored a century and half-century in Perth. However, Adelaide has been his favorite venue compared to The Gabba (Brisbane), Sydney, and Melbourne cricket grounds, where he scored three centuries and a fifty out of 8 innings played in his career.
David Warner’s Warning to Australia: DON’T Underestimate Virat Kohli!
In his recent interview, David Warner highlights the threat to the Australian test cricket team despite Virat Kohli’s recent deteriorating form:
“Oh Yeah! I’m highly worried about Virat Kohli. But, my reason is completely different from what others are talking about. People want to criticize him after New Zealand’s 3-0 defeat to India. In reality, I’m concerned about Australia. The Border Gavaskar Trophy is one such contest where Virat Kohli makes a strategic move in Australia. He completely embarks on the challenges that come his way as none of the visiting team batters in our country has ever accomplished. If he steps up and accumulates huge runs, it is a serious worry for me and the entire Australian cricket team. I think, his average in tests is nearly 55 in Australia.
He knows how to anchor the team’s innings and capitalize on the energy of the Australian crowds by transforming it into inspirational energy. Moreover, he is at his best form in these big tournaments. This is one such series that proves the fact.
Mainly, Rohit and Kohli haven’t experienced wickets where any batsman would prefer batting on. Perhaps, this is what frightens me a lot. As I’ve mentioned before, a batsman out of form doesn’t mean that they are out of piling huge runs.
He is one such class cricketer knowing how to shift gears and adapt his mindset for the big series. Particularly, in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, he had the most memorable season playing against us. I think this is what Australians would be scared of,” David Warner said.
Virat Kohli’s BGT Scores in Australia (2011 to 2020): Records that Scares David Warner
As the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy takes place at these five different venues, let’s revisit Virat Kohli’s previous scores that frighten David Warner to a great extent:
1. Perth: 259 Runs in 4 Innings (Hundreds-1 and Fifties-1)
| Season | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings | ||||||
| Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | |
| 2011 | 44 | 81 | 6 | 0 | 75 | 136 | 9 | 0 |
| 2018 | 123 | 257 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 40 | 2 | 0 |
| TOTAL: | 259 runs out of 514 balls | |||||||
2. Adelaide: 509 Runs in 8 Innings (Hundreds-3, Fifties-0)
| Season | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings | ||||||
| Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | |
| 2011 | 116 | 213 | 11 | 1 | 22 | 62 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | 115 | 184 | 12 | 0 | 141 | 175 | 16 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 104 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | 74 | 180 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL: | 509 runs out of 942 balls | |||||||
3. Gabba, Brisbane: 20 Runs in 2 Innings (Hundreds-0, Fifties-0)
| Season | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings | ||||||
| Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | |
| 2014 | 19 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL: | 20 runs out of 38 balls | |||||||
4. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG): 315 Runs in 2 Innings (Hundreds-1, Fifties-2)
| Season | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings | ||||||
| Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | |
| 2011 | 11 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 169 | 272 | 18 | 0 | 54 | 99 | 7 | 0 |
| 2018 | 82 | 204 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL: | 316 runs out of 601 balls | |||||||
5. Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG): 248 Runs in 6 Innings (Hundreds-1, Fifties-0)
| Season | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings | ||||||
| Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | |
| 2011 | 23 | 41 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 24 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | 147 | 230 | 20 | 0 | 46 | 95 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | 23 | 59 | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL: | 248 Runs out of 449 balls | |||||||
Final Thoughts:
The 17th edition of the Border Gavaskar Trophy marks a crucial series in Virat Kohli’s test cricket career. It is not just about accumulating runs, but also solidifying his status as one of the dominant batters of all time.
It’s time for Kohli to remind the cricket world that he was the first test captain who set the record for scoring the most double centuries between 2016 and 2019. He needs to prove that a batsman who once dominated all formats will continue to be the King of cricket forever.
Finally, the question arises on behalf of all cricket fans: Can Kohli rediscover his brilliant batting skills that could contribute to his team’s success in the forthcoming BGT? Or, Will Australia succeed in calming his furious performance at home? The answer is not just about a team’s victory in the series but also redefining the future of one of the modern legendary Indian cricketers.
