The upcoming India versus Australia ODI and T20I series will bring two stalwarts of the game, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith together for the next three-four weeks, in what is expected to be a close contest. The last time these two players faced one another in India during the Test series, Kohli's team emerged victorious earlier in the year.
Both the captains, Kohli and Smith will be under pressure to deliver. This India-Australia rivalry has been growing over the years, with its fair share of controversies, where tempers have also flared, at times.
Kohli and Smith will have to once again take leadership roles. They will have one thing in their mind, play positive cricket and win the limited overs series.
With India and Australia being giants of world cricket, Kohli and Smith are said to be two of the best captains, at present. And if one had the option to choose only one, former India cricketer VVS Laxman prefers his countryman, stating Kohli leads the team from the front.
However, Laxman adds that the presence of former India captain, MS Dhoni in the team helps a lot.
"Virat is a better captain and while they are both young, Smith wasn't very proactive during the Test series. Virat also has the advantage of having someone like MS Dhoni in the team. Kohli leads by example and is the better skipper than Smith at the moment," "Cricketnext" quoted Laxman as saying.
Kohli's team will come into this series as a confident bunch, especially after having defeated Sri Lanka 9-0, winning all the matches across three formats in the island nation. If India manage to play similar cricket and defeat Australia with Kohli scoring big runs, the Indian skipper will enhance his reputation as a number one leader.
Australia, who might have lost in the Test series, are a stronger team in coloured clothing cricket, especially with a number of players having played in the IPL. The series could be a humdinger in India.
