Virat Kohli drew extreme reactions over the four days of Test cricket here at the Adelaide Oval.
During the first innings, he was greeted with an applause reserved for the prodigal son. But in the second innings, the claps were overwhelmed by the booing from a few stands. Yet, there is no denying the Indian captain’s overwhelming popularity across Australia. Most fans love his terrific batting, scorching aggression and uninhibited expressions on the field. Just the other day, he was spotted jiving in the slips!
That sport cuts across the jingoistic lines of nationalism became evident when Sage Goel, a seven-year old with multi-ethnic roots, turned up clad in blue and wearing a jersey sporting Kohli’s name and his number 18. The boy is an unabashed fan of Kohli and is hoping that he could meet his hero.
Sage’s father Karim revealed that his son wants to bowl to Kohli. Karim, born to a Tunisian father and a Polish/Ukrainian mother, married Aarti Goel, who is a Punjabi, and also adopted her surname.
“We both love cricket and that’s how our son developed a liking for the game. Sage must have been three or four and we would watch cricket together. Virat first caught his attention because he loved the energy that he brought to batting and his never-say-die attitude. Sage also remembers Virat’s twin centuries four years ago in the Test here,” Karim said while his son kept his eyes glued to the action.
Australian by birth, but Indian at heart thanks to Kohli!
