12 years of Virat Kohli's Test empire defined by five of his most imperious displays

Virat Kohli’s name is synonymous with class and greatness and when it comes to the ultimate form of cricket, playing the sport in whites, very few cricketers come close to what he has achieved. Uttered in the same breath as that of Sachin Tendulkar and the legacy that he has spawned during the last decade and a half, Kohli remains at the topmost pedestal of modern-day cricket.

12 years ago today, Virat Kohli put on the India Test jersey for the first time and it was against the West Indies in Kingston. However, that wasn’t really a memorable start for the future Indian skipper as he got out for a paltry four in the first innings and 15 in the second. However, it was a long way from home and Kohli was just getting warmed up. Fast forward the clock by a year and he was already terrorizing the best bowlers of the world. On the day when VK kickstarted a career that would be a work of art in the upcoming months and years, here are the top five performances of Virat Kohli in Test cricket.

1.    115 and 141 vs Australia, Adelaide, 2014

Australia posted 517 on the scorecard in the first innings where David Warner, Michael Clarke and Steve Smith scored centuries. Brushing off an early wobble, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara joined forces in playing an anchoring knock at first before switching gears that saw the former hammering away at will against the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon and a host of other formidable names. India got off to a good start as Murali Vijay scored 53, Shikhar Dhawan added 25 while Cheteshwar Pujara looked good for his 73. Continuing India’s good start, Virat Kohli would add 115 which was the highest score for India in the first innings. Later, chasing 363 in the fourth innings, Murali Vijay’s 99 and Virat Kohli’s 141 helped India to reach 315, a juncture where victory looked possible. However, once Virat fell, India had nothing more to offer, agonisingly falling short of the target.

2.    119 and 96 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2013

This was a near escape for the Indian cricket team but then again when you are in Johannesburg, even a respectable defeat can prove to be a formidable fight against the mighty Proteas. The Indian batters looked all at sea until Virat Kohli took over the reins. Batting first, the Indian batters couldn’t capitalize as the top three departed quickly with Murali Vijay (6), Shikhar Dhawan (13) and Cheteshwar Pujara (25) all falling cheaply. Virat Kohli was the top scorer for India with 119 while the second-best score came from Ajinkya Rahane (47) that helped India post 280. The Indian batters produced a much better performance in the second innings though, as Murali Vijay scored 39 while Cheteshwar Pujara put up 153. Kohli played a major hand with a 96-run knock that helped India put up 421 on the scoreboard.

3.    169 and 54 vs Australia, Melbourne, 2014

Australia posted 530 on the scorecard in the first innings while Indian batters got off to a decent start but soon lost a couple of wickets in the form of Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara. Murali Vijay couldn’t last longer either as he fell for 68. It was Virat Kohli’s 169 alongside Ajinkya Rahane’s 147 that helped India post 465. India had their fair share of struggles in the second innings as they lost Murali Vijay for 11, Shikhar Dhawan for 0 and KL Rahul for 1. Kohli’s 54-run knock came as the saving grace alongside Rahane’s 48 as India saved the match. 

4.    149 and 51 vs England, Birmingham, 2018

India’s tours to England have always been marked by some questionable display alongside all the historical outings that they have had. It was back in 2018 when VK was leading the Indian side and he was doing that in excellent fashion. Confronting a total of 287, when the other Indian batters were struggling to get the better of the English bowling contenders, it was Kohli who made it look extremely effortless. He would brave the English bowling unit comprising the likes of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid without breaking a sweat. His first-innings knock of 149 did allow India to fight back but it was his second-innings knock of 51 that helped India stay afloat, only to be denied a victory in the dying embers of the game. 

5.    153 vs South Africa, Centurion, 2018

Virat Kohli’s brilliance hasn’t been confined just to one country but the fact that he raged against the supremacy of the SENA nations in Test cricket, made him the hero that he is today. Back in 2018, when India was up against South Africa in the Centurion, it was Kohli who brought forth the big guns. South Africa posted 335 on the scoreboard in the first innings and the Indian batters had a questionable start to their innings. KL Rahul scored 10, Cheteshwar Pujara got out for a golden duck while Murali Vijay fell shortly after a promising 46. Kohli rose up to the occasion and top-scored with 153, helping India fight back as they would post 307.