Former Australian batter Joe Burns, who is now leading Italy, recently recalled how sledging Virat Kohli in 2014 went wrong for him. Burns made his debut against India in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2014-15 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

He said that he tried to break Kohli’s focus by telling him to play some shots during his innings. But the plan failed badly as Kohli gave a sharp reply, reminding Burns that he was only making his debut. With Kohli close to his century, Burns, who was fielding at short leg, finally tried to sledge the star batter after keeping quiet for a long time. But the move backfired for the 24-year-old, as Kohli told him not to speak and called him a “rookie.”

Joe Burns Recalls Kohli Clash in 2014 MCG Test

Former Australia batter Joe Burns, now leading Italy, remembered how his debut sledging of Virat Kohli backfired in the 2014 MCG Test.

Burns said, “I’m fairly certain Virat scored 100 that day. There was a little bit of talk going on. Not real sledging, just some comments from behind the stumps. I was in close, and after four hours of silence, I said one line – ‘Virat, you got to play some shots’.”

Kohli stopped bowler Nathan Lyon, turned to Burns and said, “You don’t talk, rookie.” On the very next ball, Kohli smashed a cover drive for four. Burns admitted it was very embarrassing for him and that he stayed quiet for the next four days.

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Kohli’s Big Innings

Kohli went on to score a superb 169 runs off 272 balls with 18 fours, which was his highest Test score at that time. He also scored 54 in the second innings to help India draw the match. Kohli later scored another century in Sydney and finished the series with 692 runs in eight innings at an average of 86.50 with four centuries. Despite his heroics, India lost the series 0-2.

JOE BURNS ON VIRAT KOHLI & MCG TEST 2014:

- "I think it’d been four hours, I hadn’t said a word. I think I said one line. I think I said to him, ‘Virat, you got to play some shots', He stopped the bowler, turned to me and said, ‘You don’t talk, rookie’. Next ball he faced up,… pic.twitter.com/2SASBISkts

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) August 22, 2025

Burns Now Plays for Italy

Joe Burns, who was just 24 at the time of his debut, said Kohli showed him he was not someone to mess with. Now aged 36, Burns has retired from Australian cricket and represents Italy in memory of his late brother. Under his captaincy, Italy recently qualified for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup.

The Indian team has had a roller-coaster series in England. The hosts won the first and third Tests, India won the second, and the fourth ended in a draw. Now, with the series level, England looks set to win the fifth and final Test. India are close to losing the series, and veteran spinner R. Ashwin says one big reason is poor captaincy from Shubman Gill. On his YouTube channel “Ash Ki Baat,” Ashwin didn’t hold back. He pointed out key mistakes India made, especially in how they used their bowlers.

Throughout the series, there have been many moments that stood out. Speaking on this, India legend Ravichandran Ashwin talked about the team’s lack of game awareness. Ashwin said that India has not been the sharpest in the series, but he believes Shubman Gill’s decision-making as captain will improve over time.

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Ashwin Points Out Lack of Game Awareness

Ashwin said that India have shown a lack of game awareness in this series, especially in tactical decisions on the field. “Coming back to the topic of spinners not being used, I feel there has been a lack of game awareness and, in many ways, our tactical thinking both on and off the field. This is the main reason why England are ahead in this series and India are behind. We haven’t been the sharpest,” he said.

He believes Shubman Gill will improve with time but added that missing key moments in a match is hurting the team. “Sometimes, if you feel you play spin well, you don’t bring in your own spinners at the right time. And when that happens, spinners become a defensive option instead of an attacking one,” Ashwin explained.

Ashwin gave a specific example from Day 4 of the final Test, when England batter Harry Brook was scoring freely. He said that was the moment to bring in Washington Sundar to slow the runs.  

“You could’ve had a spinner from one end and a fast bowler from the other. But we missed that chance,” he added.

He also said it’s not clear whether these calls are made on the field or come from the team management. “Making these mistakes is a huge gap. We don’t know whether the message is going from outside to the middle. We don’t know the dressing room talks. But in today’s day and age, these mistakes can definitely be avoided,” Ashwin said.

England in Control After Day 4

Ashwin’s comments came after India showed some fight on Day 4 but still allowed England to get close to victory. Joe Root and Harry Brook both scored centuries and stitched together a 195-run partnership, taking the game away from India. Brook smashed 111 off 98 balls, while Root made 105.

India did fight back after tea, with Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna taking wickets and slowing the scoring. The match was stopped due to bad light and rain, with England at 339/6, just 35 runs away from a record win.

Joe Burns, the former Australian opening batter and the current captain of the Italian cricket side, has penned down an emotional message after they made it through to their maiden T20 World Cup qualification for the 2026 season in India and Sri Lanka. The Brisbane-born decided to join this side after his brother passed away a couple of years ago. 

The final day of the Europe Qualifiers of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was a roller coaster with Jersey getting knocked out due to the Netherlands chasing their total a bit late. After being restricted to 134/7, Italy needed to hold the Dutch side for at least 15 overs to qualify. Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd got off to a powerful start, but Burns and his army stretched them back.

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“I don’t think words will ever describe my emotions to this team and this country. Sacrifice, dedication, and commitment to a dream - we have walked this path into the unknown together to our first World Cup. Guided by the inspiration of those at home, around the world, or looking down from above. For the ones who have gone before and for generations to come.” Burns expressed during a recent Instagram post after the qualification.

Joe Burns pens down emotional message after Italy’s maiden T20 World Cup qualification

With the bat, Italy kept losing wickets regularly in the first inning. A steady knock by Benjamin Manenti and a late powerful knock by Grant Stewarts pushed them to 134/7. Jersey lost the qualification path despite earning a victory against Scotland, which was their first win against this opposition.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Joe Burns (@joeburns441)

“As many as 15 teams have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 so far, with the Asia Eastern part will see another three further teams getting the tickets, while two more sides will come from the Africa qualifier to make it through. I hope this team can be a beacon for everyone to connect through family, through sport, and a shared story. May those who walk with us forever be proud. Without them, we never would have dared to dream.” Joe Burns wrote.

It's a huge step for the country towards the future for the growth of the game, despite the lack of infrastructure and the emotions the fans currently have for the sport.

Joe Burns’ cricket journey has taken a remarkable and emotional turn. Once a Test opener for Australia, he is now set to lead Italy in their debut appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, an achievement that goes far beyond sport.

Burns stepped onto the international stage in the 2014 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, a match that will be remembered for many reasons, as MS Dhoni's farewell, KL Rahul's first steps into international cricket, yet for Burns, it marked an uneven start to international cricket. While Rahul prospered from this opportunity, Burns had ups and downs - although he scored four Test centuries in just 23 matches, a lack of consistency and stiff competition saw him fall out of favour with Australia's plans by 2020.

But it was never say never for Burns. In 2024, after the tragedy of his brother Dominic's passing away unexpectedly, Burns decided to represent Italy, the land of his maternal grandparents. His decision to play for Italy was not just about playing cricket; it was about playing as a brother in mourning. He represented Italy wearing jersey number 85, which was the same number Dominic wore to play club cricket, yet also the year he was born. It's a number that not just represented Dominic, but ultimately it was 85 as a tribute.

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Joe Burns Leads Italy to First-Ever T20 World Cup with Heart and Determination

Taking over as Italy’s T20I captain in late 2024, Burns brought structure, belief, and professionalism to a team not expected to go far. In a regional qualifier packed with favourites like Scotland and the Netherlands, Italy needed to hang tough. They did exactly that. In their final group game, they managed to restrict the Netherlands just enough to edge through on net run rate. Burns’ best moment came against Romania, where he hammered an unbeaten 108 off 55 balls, a defining innings in Italy’s fairytale run.

Now, as Italy gets ready to feature in their first-ever global tournament, Burns stands at the centre of a story few saw coming. It’s not just about cricket anymore. It’s about family, love, and honouring the past while building a new future for himself, for Italy, and for the brother who never got to see this dream realized.

The 35-year-old former Australian cricketer, especially popular as a Test opener, has been named as the captain of the ICC Associate Member, Italy national cricket team.

Brisbane-born Joe Burns, who last played for Australia in 2020, became eligible to play for his mother’s heritage Italy. Last June, Burns made his debut for Italy. Without a big surprise, Burns has been named as the captain of Italy. 

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Italian cricket has enormous potential: Joe Burns

Burns stated, "I am honoured to take on this role and represent Italy on the international stage. For me, it is a return to my family's roots. Italian cricket has enormous potential and I am excited to contribute to its growth. Together with my team-mates, we are working to achieve ambitious goals and make our fans proud."

Joe Burns: Only T20I centurion for Italy

While Burns never played for Australia in the T20I format, he finally made his T20I debut last June during their match against Luxembourg in the Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. On his T20I debut, Burns scored 58 runs. 

Italy qualified for the Europe Reginal Final for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after finishing as the champions in the Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier A. 

The Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier A ended with Italy’s victory by 160 runs against Romania. In that final, Burns scored 108 not out off 55 balls and became the first Italian cricketer to record a T20I century. 

Joe Burns: Hit four Test centuries

From December 2014 to December 2020, Burns played 23 Tests and six ODIs for Australia. The right-handed batter scored 1442 runs in 40 Test innings with an average of 36.97. He hit four centuries and seven half-centuries in his Test career, including his highest Test innings score of 180 during the 2019 Canberra Test against Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, in his ODI career, Burns scored 146 runs in six matches with an average of 24.33, including one half-century.