Sydney: Responding to Greg Chappell’s ‘most Australian non-Australian of all time’ comment, India skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday (December 16) declared himself a ‘representation of new India’, and is forever ready to take up challenges with optimism.
On the eve of the first Test against Australia, Kohli was asked about his aggressive brand of cricket coupled with a fighting attitude that the former Australia captain, who also served as India coach, found similar to the mindset of his countrymen.
“I would like to say that I have always been myself, the way my personality and character is, I am the representation of new India. For me, that’s how I look at it,” Kohli said during a virtual media conference.
“In my mind, it’s not (about) being compared to the Australian mindset as such. It’s how we have started to stand up as the Indian cricket team and my personality has been like this from day one,” he added.
Kohli said the new India is one that’s not afraid to take up challenges. “The new India takes up challenges and is filled with optimism and positivity. We make sure that we are ready for any challenges that come our way,” he added.
The first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will kick-start against Australia at the Adelaide, from Thursday (December 17). Kohli will only play the first Test match in Adelaide before leaving for India due to a paternity leave granted by BCCI as he and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their first child in January 2021.
