Kohli relishes Aussie aggression

Most touring cricketers know what they're in for during a long, hot summer in Australia.

Baking heat, hostile bowling and a verbal barrage that is as fierce coming from the stands as it is from the opposition on the field.

And while most touring players will publically say they relish the aggression that comes with a tour down under, one gets the sense that Virat Kohli actually means it.

The fiery batsman is about to embark on his second Test series in Australia, which gets underway at the Adelaide Oval tomorrow.

Kohli was one of the few Indians to hold their own on their last tour here in 2011-12, the then 23-year-old blasting his maiden Test century and finishing the series as the tourists' leading run-scorer.

But more than the runs he scored, Kohli is remembered for being one of the few touring players who gave as good as he got, both to his opponents and the local supporters.

Fined 50 per cent of his match fee for flipping the bird to the crowd during the second Test at the SCG, Kohli then wildly celebrated his hundred in Adelaide that came following a heated exchange with Aussie quick Peter Siddle.

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Kohli celebrating his maiden Test century // Getty Images

Kohli confirmed today that he will captain India for the first time in a Test match, with regular skipper MS Dhoni yet to fully recover from a thumb injury.

Quick Single: Dhoni ruled out of first Test

And the now 26-year-old says having the 'c' next to his name won't see him tone down his combative nature.

"Yeah, I don't mind a fight," Kohli said with a smile.

"I don't mind a bit of chat on the field, a bit of banter. I don't mind all that.

"It probably makes me even more determined, I guess.

"I'm pretty focused to do well all the time, but that's an added spice that I like.

"Last time around I enjoyed it.

"It was too aggressive for me, initially, to take it for the first couple of Tests.

"But after a few incidents I figured there's no other way of playing in Australia. So I will just be myself."

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Eye on the ball. Kohli training ahead of the first Test // Getty Images

Kohli was at the centre of another ugly incident on Australia's tour of India in 2013, when he and Aussie wicketkeeper Matthew Wade had to be seperated by umpire Aleem Dar during a fiery fourth Test in Delhi.

Kohli and combative allrounder Ravindra Jadeja also gave Warner an almighty send-off when the opener was trapped lbw in the second innings, one of the final acts in a spiteful series that India won 4-0.

The Aussies say the manner in which those matches was played, as much as the one-sided scoreline, made the loss hurt more than most.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson noted today that the Indians "were pretty chirpy" during the series, and Shane Watson also has bad memories of that tour.

"We've certainly got a lot to give back to them in our conditions," Watson said yesterday.

"They certainly let us know that they were on top of us during that series.

"We need to make sure that we start off very well and stay strong throughout this series to make sure that they feel a similar pain to what we felt over in India."

While Kohli is regarded as one of the world's premier batsmen, his most recent Test series was well below his normal high standards.

The right-hander failed to register a half-century in 10 innings on India's tour of England, finishing the series with an average of 13.40.

But he's returned to form since then, passing 50 in eight of his past nine innings, including two centuries.

Given Kohli's failures in England, Johnson says the world's No.2 rated ODI batsmen might be due to find form again in the Test arena this summer.

But Kohli was philosophical when asked about the England tour, which he labelled "just another two months in my life, nothing more than that".

"I don't know why still that England phase is being spoken about," he said.

"I don't live in the yesterday, I don't think anyone does.

"It's all about looking forward to tomorrow. If you keep sulking in the past, there's no way you're going to move on in life and that's something I believe in."