Star Indian batter Virat Kohli had a wonderful career in Test cricket where he shattered several records and guided India to some of the famous wins in the longest format. The right-handed batsman amassed 9230 runs from 123 matches in his Test career, at an average of 46.85 along with 31 fifties, 30 hundreds and seven double hundreds. Now, the 36-year-old officially announced his retirement from the longest format on the morning May 12.
During his 14-year old Test career from 2011 to 2025, Virat Kohli has played several memorable knocks which helped India to register famous wins in the longest format over the years. As the legend bid-adieu to red-ball cricket, we will have a look at the five best innings of Virat Kohli in Test cricket.
Best Virat Kohli Test Innings
1. 153 vs South Africa, Centurion, 2018
One of the best knocks of Virat Kohli in Test cricket came against South Africa in Centurion in January, 2018. On his first tour to South Africa as captain, Kohli didn’t had a poor outing in the first match. Now as India needed to level the series in Centurion, Kohli led from the from the front and played a knock of 153 runs off 217 balls as India posted 307 runs in reply in South Africa’s 353 runs in the first innings. However, his effort went in vain as India's batting order failed in the second innings and the visitors lost the match by 135 runs.
2. 115 vs Australia, Adelaide, 2014
Virat Kohli announced his arrival as the Indian Test captain in style with a century in his first game as captain in Adelaide during the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy down under. With MS Dhoni missing the first game, Kohli took the charge as captain and ended up playing a knock 115 runs off 184 balls, as India were bowled out for 444 runs in reply to Australia’s 517/7. He also came up with a ton in the second innings as he scored 141(175) runs while chasing a target of 364 runs. Although India lost the game, Kohli made a statement with his back-to-back centuries in his first two innings as Test captain. He became the full-time Test captain after MS Dhoni announced retirement from the longest format after the second Test in Brisbane.
3. 123 vs Australia, Perth, 2018
This was one of Virat Kohli’s toughest Test hundred overseas as confirmed by the batter himself. During the second Test of the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth, India were in a tricky situation in reply to Australia’s 326 runs in the first innings. The visitors lost two wickets for just eight runs and were reduced to 82/3. After that, Kohli led from the front and played a fighting knock of 123 runs off 257 balls, hitting 13 fours and a six. However, his efforts went in vain as India lost the match by 146 runs.
4. 149 vs England, Birmingham, 2018
After a horrible England tour in 2014, Virat Kohli left all his failures behind and scored a memorable hundred in his first innings when he led India to the England tour in 2018. In the first Test of a five-match series, England posted 287 runs in the first innings. In reply, India were in a difficult position as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. However, skipper Virat Kohli turned out to be a lone warrior with regular wickets falling from the other and completed his first Test century on the English soil. The right-hander scored 149 runs off 225 balls alone when India were bowled out for 274 runs. Eventually India went on to lose the match by 31 runs.
5. 254* vs South Africa, Pune, 2019
This is Virat Kohli’s highest individual score in a Test where he went on to score his seventh double ton in the longest format. In a Test match against South Africa in Pune in October, 2019. The right-handed batsman played a captain’s knock of 254* runs off 336 balls. He had a great chance to convert this knock into his maiden Test triple ton but he declared the innings as India posted a mammoth total of 601 runs for the loss of five wickets. Eventually, India went on to win the Test match by an innings and a huge margin of 137 runs.
