Virat Kohli stopped Nathan Lyon, turned to me and said, 'You rookie…’: Ex-Australia star didn't say a word for 4 days

Former Australia opener and current Italy captain Joe Burns shared a memory from his Test debut during India’s 2014–15 tour of Australia, involving none other than the legendary Virat Kohli. Burns recalled how a single line of sledging from him during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG was met with an instant and emphatic shut-down from Kohli — who was leading India for the first time in Tests following MS Dhoni's mid-series retirement. Virat Kohli and Nathan Lyon

Burns, who was 24 at the time, had been fielding at bat-pad during a long stint under the Melbourne sun. Kohli, already well set, was on his way to yet another century when Burns, encouraged by teammates Brad Haddin and Shane Watson chirping from behind the stumps, decided to join in.

“I’m fairly certain Virat scored 100 that day,” Burns recalled. “There was a little bit of chirp going on. Not sledging, just obviously we got Hadzi behind the stumps and Watto at first slip. Nathan Lyon was bowling, so I’m in close. I think it’d been four hours. I hadn’t said a word. I think I said one line. I said to him, ‘Virat, you got to play some shots.’”

That was all it took for Kohli to turn up the intensity. The then-India captain stopped bowler Nathan Lyon on his mark and turned to Burns to give a sharp retort.

“He stopped the bowler, stopped Nathan Lyon, turned to me and said, ‘You don’t talk, rookie.’ Next ball he faced up, smacked it through covers. It was very embarrassing for me. I didn’t say a word the next four days after that,” Burns said with a laugh.

The moment left a lasting impression on Burns, who witnessed firsthand the kind of competitive fire that would come to define Kohli’s leadership.

“That showed me that Virat was not someone to mess with. As a 24-year-old debutant at bat-pad, I wasn’t really the person or in the place to be saying anything to Virat at that point.”

The 2014–15 series marked a significant transition in Indian cricket. After MS Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket following the third Test in Melbourne, Kohli took over as captain for the final match in Sydney. Despite the team not winning the series, Kohli’s aggressive leadership and red-hot form with the bat stood out. He scored 692 runs in eight innings, including four centuries — a performance that signalled the beginning of a new era.

“Virat Kohli doesn’t take a backward step,” Burns added. “He really shaped that team’s identity. I think even now that he’s not in the team, you can see the way India play is still built on the foundations that Virat put in place over a number of years.”

Burns, who now captains Italy after representing Australia in 23 Tests, also admitted that engaging with Kohli on the field was something he actively avoided.

“I tried not to look at him on the field. I didn’t want to engage with him because I knew that really spurred him on. And you factor in the fact that he’s a world-class batter, one of the greatest of all time. It’s a great combination.”

Kohli would go on to lead India in 68 Tests, winning 40 — the most by any Indian captain — and finishing with 9230 runs in the longest format.

Click here to read article