Virat Kohli has dominated the Test arena ever since he made his red-ball debut against the West Indies over a decade ago, scoring an astounding 7765 runs with 27 centuries – the most since his debut – at an average of 51. From the dust bowls of India, to the bouncy tracks of Australia and the green tops of England, Kohli has scored runs in all types of conditions across the world, so here are his best five innings in the longest format of the game.
Kohli announced his arrival in the longest format with his maiden Test century in the fourth Test versus Australia in 2012 against a lethal bowling line-up. After scoring a fighting 75 in the 3rd Test at Perth, Kohli rose to the occasion in Adelaide with a fine innings of 116 off 213 balls. Kohli walked in at 87/4 and outshined the likes of Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman with a knock that served as a launchpad for his glistening international career.
In India’s first Test after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli assumed the mantle of his cricketing idol with a wonderful knock of 119 against South Africa batting at number four. The right-hander walked in with India in all sorts of trouble at 24-2 and played some wonderful counter-attacking strokes against the likes of Steyn, Philander and Morkel. Kohli was a class apart compared to his teammates on the day, and this fighting knock prevented a first-innings collapse to help India earn a famous draw away from home at Johannesburg.
Three years after his debut ton in Adelaide, Kohli produced another epic at the Adelaide Oval in his first Test as India captain. Against an Australia attack that included the most fearsome bowler in world cricket at the time – Mitchell Johnson – Kohli scored 115 in the first innings before smashing a staggering 141 off only 175 deliveries in the second innings to take India to the brink of victory on the final day in their chase of 364.
Virat Kohli enjoyed a golden run in Tests in 2018 which started with a stunning century versus South Africa at Centurion against a pace attack of Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. Kohli walked in at 28 for two in extremely tricky conditions but took the attack to the opposition with a sublime knock of 153 of 217 balls as he scored nearly half of India’s runs in the innings.
Kohli buried the ghosts of the 2014 series in England and put on a masterclass of batting in swinging conditions at Edgbaston to score his first Test century in England. While the other Indian batters struggled to even put bat to ball, Kohli was in a league of his own as he scored a majestic 149 off 225 balls. With India struggling at 100/5, Kohli showed immense discipline against the likes of Anderson and Broad, before accelerating beautifully along with the tail as he scored more than 50% of India’s runs in that innings to restrict England’s lead to only 13.
[Featured Image Credit: Suresh Raina]
Shivaan Shah