ICC WTC Final: 10 years of Virat Kohli’s Test career, 10 best moments of India’s greatest Test skipper – For a batsman who averaged a century almost every five-Test inning until 2019, Virat Kohli has certainly hit a slump in form with an extended century-less streak. He has now gone without a single triple-digit score for nearly two years. But even though he has not managed to break his ton drought, Kohli still has been influential with the willow. Captaining the India side at the ongoing World Test Championship against New Zealand, the 32-year-old is celebrating his 10 years of Test career. Insidesport brings you his 10 most defining moments.
ICC WTC Final – Most successful Indian Captain in Test matches
Virat Kohli is the most successful Indian captain in Test matches. With 36 wins and 14 losses, he surpassed Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday as the most capped Test skipper too.
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ICC WTC Final- First Indian Captain to win a Test series in Australia
A feat that none of his predecessors could achieve. Kohli is the first Indian skipper to win a Test series in Australia. The series scoreline read 2-1 and was enough to create history.
ICC WTC Final- Kohli’s maiden Test century
The maiden Test century is always special in any batter’s career and Kohli is no different. He struggled in his debut Test series against West Indies. But he believed in himself just like MS Dhoni trusted his soldier and it paid the dividend. Kohli played a typical knock of 116 from 213 balls with sheer grit and determination to earn a spot in the Indian Test team.
ICC WTC Final- Twin tons at Adelaide 2014
Kohli’s first stint as India’s Test captain nearly ended the way he wanted it to but he missed by a whisker. Chasing a huge total in the first innings, Kohli gave a solid reply with an impressive 115. Australia then put a target of 363 before declaring the innings. It was near impossible target as the pitch had started helping the spinners. But Kohli decided to put up a brave fight and scored another century (141). However, he fell on a Nathan Lyon delivery and failed to help India cross the line.
Virat Kohli Test record: Vs England- 103(295 balls)
Virat Kohli called it his “learning innings”. If he could score an 86-ball-133, he showed in this innings, that he was prepared to play a patient knock too. His 103 runs came off 295 deliveries and contained only 11 hits to the boundary. He and MS Dhoni forged an extremely uncharacteristic partnership, where the duo added 198 runs after India were 71/4, at a run-rate of 2.34. A patient knock on a slow and low wicket.
Virat Kohli Test record: vs South Africa (2019) – 254
Virat Kohli declared the India innings at a massive 601/5, with one hour of play left on Day 2 in the 2nd Test vs South Africa. He was himself on 254* at the time, his highest Test score. The selflessness in declaring the innings to put South Africa under added pressure was lauded by the cricketing world.
Virat Kohli Test record: vs England (2018) – 97
His team might have faltered, but 2018 was a redemption of sorts for Virat Kohli. Struggling to put bat on ball four years ago, Kohli arrived in England with a reputation to enhance and instantly struck gold with a century in Birmingham. He looked like he was batting on a different surface altogether, unafraid to put out a big stride against both spin and pace. Fluent till then, he tried to drill Adil Rashid through covers on 97 but ended up offering an edge to slip, and falling three short of a well-deserved ton.
Virat Kohli Test record: vs Australia (2012) -75
Many remember Virat Kohli’s 2012 Adelaide century as his coming of age in Test cricket, but earlier in the same month, Kohli, then 23, displayed exemplary courage against a raging Australian attack. In an innings where only two batsmen passed 20, Kohli’s 136-ball 75, then his highest Test score, diffused all doubts that he belonged to the Test level.
ICC WTC Final- Most Double Hundreds in Test matches as a Skipper
In 2017, Kohli achieved added another milestone to his glorious career as a Test batter. He is the only skipper to hit seven double hundreds in Test matches and fifth in the list where Sir Don Bradman is No.1
Virat Kohli holds the record scoring most Test runs in a calendar year twice. He has scored 1322 runs in 2018 and 1215 runs in 2016.