The Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar debate is back for one of the most unique reasons. The Kohli vs Tendulkar saga has been going on for ages, with fans divided over who the better batter is. For the longest time, Tendulkar was Indian cricket’s quintessential batting superstar, but this changed with the emergence of Kohli in the last decade. As Kohli tore down the house by breaking and amassing one record after another, culminating in his breaking Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries, the debate seemed to have settled. However, with Kohli’s recent run of poor form, the comparisons have opened up again. Fans advised Kohli to take a leaf out of Sachin’s book – go back and play the Ranji Trophy to get back form, adding a new layer to this never-ending discussion.
However, the fickle fans have again switched sides, now rallying behind Kohli after his unbelievable coverage across the Australian media. A day after Kohli arrived on Australian shores on Sunday, he was all over their publications, with leading outlets such as Fox, Adelaide Advertiser, and The Daily Telegraph carrying long features about the former Indian captain. Kohli took the Aussie media by storm, with some publications printed in Hindi and Punjabi. But while Kohli’s popularity Down Under was highlighted prominently, certain fans questioned Tendulkar and whether he enjoyed the same kind of fan base in Australia. Here are some reactions.
During his career, Tendulkar embarked on five tours of Australia – 1992, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. This marks Kohli’s sixth trip to Australia, and while both he and Tendulkar are celebrated figures on these tours, their eras differ significantly. Kohli leads in a time dominated by social media, where every detail is scrutinised in real time. Tendulkar, however, represented an era where he was almost mythical, standing above and beyond constant public analysis.
Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli’s routes to becoming legends in Australia
In 2012, Tendulkar was conferred the prestigious Order of Australia award, becoming the fourth non-Australian and the first non-Aussie cricketer to receive the honour. No batter has played more matches against Australia than Tendulkar. No one has scored more Test runs against Australia than Tendulkar. Of course, Kohli’s career isn’t as long as Tendulkar, and even if he plays another four years, he will fall short by four years.
Kohli and Tendulkar took very different routes to attain legendary statuses in Australia. On his first tour, Sachin notched up two magnificent centuries at Perth in WACA. By the next tour, he was already a legend in world cricket but endured one of the worst defeats by an Indian team in Australia, getting drubbed 0-3. In 2003, Tendulkar played one of the most disciplined innings of all time, en route to smashing 241 not out in Sydney and pummelled a couple more centuries in the 2008 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. That Tendulkar grabbed the mighty Australia by its horns, is what won him their public.
The same goes for Kohli. Many Australian cricketers have said that Kohli is the most Australian among all Indian cricketers. After all, it was under him that India revived its approach to Test matches, targeting wins at all costs. As captain, Kohli led from the front, enjoying a record-breaking series in 2014/15 and becoming the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Australia.
Both are greats of their own era. One just needs to realise it and put an end to all comparisons.
