Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21: Virat Kohli's take on whether sledging will play a key factor

India and Australia would lock horns in a four-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting Thursday. The series is often headlined with on-field banters and sledging between the two sides, which heats the rivalry and makes the battle even more intriguing.

The upcoming four-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is all set to light up Test cricket once again, as one of the fiercest rivalries in the sport is set to have the cricketing fraternity talking. Notably, India are the defending champions and would leave no stones unturned to create history by successfully defending it, while Australia eye payback from their last series loss at home, in 2018-19.

When it comes to the rivalry between the two, it is mostly headlined due to the on-field banters and sledging that often occurs between the players of both, while mind games are quite common. Traditionally, it is Australia, who are infamous for using this tactic to pile pressure on their opponents.

At the same time, the Indians have mastered at giving it back to the Kangaroos, of late. While it remains to be seen if a similar rivalry can be witnessed in the upcoming series, Indian skipper Virat Kohli feels that it won't be necessary and can quickly be ignored.

"I think this year (because of pandemic) also has made people realise a lot of things which might not have been necessary. In the past, where you hold grudges, or you have unnecessary tension between teams or individuals, which is absolutely pointless," opined Kohli.

"You still going to be professional and make sure that you are positive and aggressive in your body language and the way you go about the things on the field. But, I don't think that things are going to be as personal as they used to be before, also because of the fact that we all understand that we are contributing to a larger cause and it's the quality, if cricket that has to stand out," Kohli added, while speaking during the virtual press conference ahead of the opening Adelaide Test.

"At the end of the day the unnecessary stuff, it's going to get filtered out pretty much by itself. Yeah, it could be a culmination of playing a lot of IPL. Australia changing their approach to an extent, and also as I said just the way things have panned out this year, everyone is just grateful for the opportunity to be back on the field," continued Kohli.

"I hope that the cricket continues to be competitive and we should not compromise on the quality of cricket and banter is going to go on. There is going to be tension, there is going to be stress, there is going to be emotions flaring every now and then, but I don't foresee anything getting personal anymore," Kohli reckoned.

"I think, also all of us getting smarter...so we are going to make better choices and smarter choices. But, make sure that the quality of cricket remains same," concluded Kohli.

Speaking on the same, Australian skipper, Tim Paine, stated, "Yeah, look, in terms of what goes on in the field, we'll have to wait and see. You certainly don't go into it planning to have run-ins or be overly aggressive, or anything of that. We just sort of go out, try and execute our plans, firstly with our skill, with bat and ball...there's no doubt that this team won't be taking a backward step."