Credit: BCCI
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli has been one of India’s greatest batters across the formats. Now, the 36-year-old finally called off his career in Test cricket and will only be seen playing in the ODI format for India. Talking about his records in the Test format, Kohli shattered several records and played some of the memorable knocks in the longest format for India. Apart from that, Kohli also went on to become India’s most successful captain in Test. Under his captaincy, India went on to become a dominant side in Test cricket not just in India but overseas as well.
There have been some of the greatest moments in Virat Kohli’s career in Test cricket, including some famous hundreds and victories. Under his captaincy, India remained as the number one Test team for five to six years winning 40 out of 68 Test matches. He has scored 9320 runs from 123 matches at an average of 46.85 hitting 30 hundreds, 31 fifties and seven double centuries. As Virat Kohli has officially from Test cricket, we will have a look at some of his greatest moments in the longest format of the game
Here are Virat Kohli’s greatest Test moments:
1. First Test series win in Sri Lanka after 22 years in 2015
The newly made Test captain Virat Kohli was yet to win a Test match as skipper when India toured Sri Lanka in a three-match Test series in 2015. This was going to be a tough contest as India haven’t won a Test series in Sri Lanka from the last 22 years. In the very first match of the series, India failed to chase a target of 176 runs and lost by 63 runs. However, Kohli and the Indian team made a comeback in the next two matches as India ended up winning the series by 2-1 despite losing the first game. This was not only Virat Kohli’s first Test series win as captain but also India’s first Test series win in Sri Lanka after 22 years.
2. First Test hundred in England, 2018
During the 2014 tour to England, Virat Kohli had a forgettable outing where he could only score 134 runs in five matches at an underwhelming average of 13.40. Now, as India were set to tour England again after four years in 2018, all eyes were Kohli as he was now leading the Indian Test team. Keeping his past failures in England, Kohli made a statement from the very first game as he went on to score 149 runs off 225 balls in his very first innings on that tour. He came up with an aggressive celebration after completing his hundred and showed everyone that he is now different player, than in 2014. Kohli had a memorable tour in 2018 where he amassed 593 runs in five matches at an average of 59.30 along with two hundreds and three fifties.
3. First Test series win in Australia, 2018-19
One of the greatest moments of Virat Kohli’s Test career came when India ended the 71-year drought to finally win a Test series in Australia. The Indian team completely dominated the hosts in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy down under and went on to win the four-match series by 2-1. After that, India went on to win another Test series down under under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy in 2020-21.
4. Lords Test victory against England, 2021
One of the most iconic victories in Virat Kohli’s Test career came against England at Lords in 2021. In the second Test of a five-match Test series, England took a small lead of 27 runs in the first innings. India were left in a tricky situation in the second innings and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. After that, two of India’s key pacers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah shone with bat this time with Shami scoring 56* runs along with Bumrah’s unbeaten 34-run knock. India declared on 298/8, giving England a target of 272 runs with just 60 overs remaining on the last day. As England were looking to draw, India were all attack from the very first ball as Kohli also dropped one of his famous lines, “For 60 overs, they should feel like a hell out there.” After that, the Indian bowlers didn't let any of the English batters settle as the hosts were bowled out for 120 runs. India defeated England by 151 runs and won a Test match at Lords after seven years.
