In the world of cricket, few battles have been as intense and captivating as the ones between India’s batting icon Virat Kohli and Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc. Their duels have defined key moments in high-stakes India-Australia clashes over the last decade. Now, Alyssa Healy, Australian women’s cricket captain and wife of Mitchell Starc, has offered an inside perspective. Speaking on the LiSTNR Sport podcast, Healy explained how Starc enjoyed bowling to Kohli, revealing an interesting approach that often worked for the left-arm pacer against one of the world’s most formidable batters.

Mitchell Starc, as described by Alyssa Healy, always welcomed the challenge of bowling to Virat Kohli. On the podcast, Healy shared how Starc would intentionally bowl just outside the off-stump, tempting Kohli into playing the cover drive – a shot that made him iconic but also led to his downfall on several occasions. “Mitch actually liked bowling to him because he was like – Just hang it outside off, and Virat loved to nick it,” Healy said. It was a tactic that worked often enough to make the contest one of the most talked-about in modern cricket.

While Kohli’s aggressive stroke play made him a nightmare for most bowlers, it also exposed a chink in his armor outside the off-stump. According to Healy, Starc knew that Kohli’s strength could also be his weakness. “To be brave enough and drive those balls on the up is going to get you in trouble every now and then, but you’ve got to counter-attack as well,” she added, praising Kohli’s fearless approach.

A quick quiz during the podcast further revealed that Nathan Lyon has dismissed Kohli the most times among Australians in Test cricket; seven times followed by Starc with six. England’s Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes have also dismissed Kohli six times, while Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Scott Boland have taken his wicket five times each.

This intense on-field rivalry, however, has never spilled beyond the boundary. Starc has often spoken about the mutual respect he shares with Kohli, noting that off the field, the Indian batter is a “nice guy” and someone who enjoys being in a team environment. Their encounters were always marked by competitive spirit, but never bad blood.

The Kohli-Starc rivalry may now be a thing of the past, especially as Kohli gradually steps away from Test cricket. But the match-ups between these two greats have left a legacy filled with thrilling moments and cricketing brilliance.