Last year it was Stuart Broad, now India’s stand-in skipper Virat Kohli looms large as the summer’s pantomime villain.

Kohli will captain India’s Test side for the first time on December 4, with MS Dhoni already ruled out of the series opener at the Gabba.

The tourists don’t arrive for another week, but on Thursday paceman Peter Siddle was happy to turn up the heat on the 26-year-old.

“Obviously the captaincy is going to be a bit daunting for him, coming in for a big Test series in Australia and taking over,” Siddle said on Thursday.

“He’ll be up for it and no doubt we will be.

“I’m sure the crowd will be right behind us, backing us up and putting a lot of pressure on him.”

The right-hander was fined for giving the finger to fans at the SCG in response to jibes on his only tour of Australia.

Explaining his gesture in 2012, Kohli posted on Twitter that the crowd said “the worst things about your mother and sister. The worst I’ve heard”.

A social media exchange with Kevin Pietersen about the nature of Australian fans followed.

Siddle suggested Kohli would cop plenty more unsolicited advice in Brisbane.

“Probably not,” the 29-year-old replied when asked if he could imagine a worse place for a foreigner to play their first Test as captain.

“The Gabba crowd gets a bit rowdy. I’ve played a few games up there for Victoria and it’s been hard work.

“So I can’t imagine playing an international there when everyone’s against you.

“I’m sure it’ll be tough for him, but any game when it’s your first Test as captain is going to be a tough contest.

“No doubt we’ll make it a lot of hard work for him.”

Kohli also hit out at the hosts’ sledging in 2012 after scoring an impressive first Test century in Adelaide, where Australia completed a 4-0 series sweep.

Siddle described him as a class batsman, adding he plays the game “hard and aggressive”.

“It’s no different to the way we play it. They’re always good battles,” he said.