Is Fox Cricket's poster a subtle nod to Australia’s long-loved psychological warfare?

Rohit Sharma, Fox Cricket has since faced backlash from supporters of both teams for the perceived misstep (Pic: AFP/X)

Australia may be preoccupied with hosting Pakistan for a white-ball tour, but their attention seems firmly locked on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

While the five-Test series looms large on the horizon, the build-up is becoming as intense as an Australia-India clash itself.

Enter Fox Sports, the Australian broadcaster, who is doing its utmost to stir the pot.

As Australia played Pakistan in the third ODI at Perth Stadium, the channel couldn't resist flashing promotional posters for the first Test against India, over and over again, just to remind everyone that the real action was about to begin. But here's where things took a rather bizarre turn.

In a move that was both strange and yet, somehow, entirely predictable, the poster didn't feature the usual duo of captains, Pat Cummins and Rohit Sharma. Instead, they chose to feature Australian captain Cummins, alongside none other than Virat Kohli.

Now, from an outsider's perspective, this might seem like an innocent enough decision. After all, it is just a promotional poster. But the drama it stirred in the Indian cricket fanbase.

To many, it wasn't just a harmless piece of marketing, it was an outright snub. Kohli fans, who are known for their unwavering loyalty to their hero, jumped at the opportunity to celebrate this subtle reminder that, even though Kohli is no longer captain, he continues to be the face of world cricket.

And, naturally, Sharma's supporters weren't about to let this one slide. They saw this as nothing short of a deliberate insult.

Also Read: Jaiswal gets Aussie nod as 'new King', can Gill hold his ground?

One fan, ever so eloquent, took to social media to declare, "Big insult to our Indian Captain. Fox Cricket knows who is the face of Indian cricket hence they are deliberately insulting Rohit."

Others, perhaps with a bit more of a conspiracy theory flair, suggested that Fox Cricket was intentionally trying to spark a fresh 'fan war' between Kohli and Sharma fans.

"Fox Cricket Australia intends to start a fresh fan war between fans of Sharma and Kohli. It is projecting Kohli as the face of Team India, because he is a popular and TRP-driven face there. Rohit Sharma fans are not going to take it lightly," one comment read.

It didn't take long for the usual fan infighting to take over, with the keyboard warriors digging in, sharpening their fingers for battle. The supporters of both stars went on the offensive, accusing each other of trying to 'claim' the spotlight in the most trivial ways.

But the reason behind Fox Sports' curious poster decision is likely far simpler than the passionate fan theories suggest. There remains a distinct possibility that the reason behind this baffling choice lies somewhere in logistics or timing.

Also Read: Politics vs cricket leaves Champions Trophy up in the air

For instance, Sharma is reportedly expected to miss the first Test in Perth due to the impending arrival of his second child. If that really is the case, it stands to reason that the Indian team might need to be represented by someone else in promotional material.

And if Rohit's not around, why not go for the most obvious Indian face - Kohli? After all, he's been the undeniable star of Indian cricket for nearly a decade, and even in the absence of a captaincy role, he remains the face most synonymous with the sport and someone Australia has long feared.

Now, one might argue, if that was the case, why not just feature vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, who'll likely lead the side in Rohit's absence? But how many fans are likely to tune in to see a poster with Bumrah's steely face gracing the front page? Kohli, whether as captain or not, still holds the kind of universal recognition that can draw eyes, and, most importantly, a figure Australia has long dreaded, with his aggressive batting and unmatched mental toughness.

Besides, Australia's cricketing ethos has always been masterfully shaped around the art of 'psychological warfare'. For decades, they have been refining their craft of intimidating opponents, not just with their cricketing skills, but with an almost Olympic-level ability to mess with the minds of anyone unlucky enough to be on the other side.

From the infamous 'mental disintegration' strategies of the late '90s to today's more refined brand of 'get under the skin' approach, Australia has always been ahead of the game in the mental gymnastics department. Forget technique or strategy, just get in the opponent's head and make them unravel.