One of the best in the business currently, Indian batter Virat Kohli has come a long way in his Test career and is all set to play his 100th game. Unless there are unforeseen circumstances, Kohli’s 100th Test will be in Mohali against Sri Lanka, the first of the two-match series. In attendance will be BCCI President Sourav Ganguly as well. Kohli will become the 12th Indian cricketer to play a 100 Test matches, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the pack having played 200 games in the longest format.
In 99 games so far, Kohli has scored 7962 runs at a stellar average of 50.39, after making his debut in 2011 against West Indies. Of the 99 games, Kohli has been captain in 68 games and won 40.
As a batter, Kohli has been among the pillars in the Indian line-up over the last decade. His Test career took time to get going, but once he got into the groove, there was no stopping him.
Here’s a look at some of his top performances as a batter in the India colours in Test cricket.
Adelaide 2012 – 116 vs Australia
Less than a year into life as a Test cricketer, Kohli made his mark on one of the toughest tours, when he scored a brilliant century in Adelaide, the first of many. After a not so impressive start to the tour, Kohli got a half century in Perth before he smashed his maiden century in Test cricket. Batting at No 6 in a middle order that also had the current head coach Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, he scored 116 runs off 213 balls in India’s total of 272 in their first innings. However, India lost that match, and the series 0-4, but the young man from New Delhi had announced his arrival. Australia would look out for the cricketer every time from then on in.
Johannesburg 2013 – 119 vs South Africa
Kohli was batting at number 4 and India were in a spot of bother as the openers had departed early and South Africa’s bowling attack, led by Dale Steyn were causing all sorts of problems. Kohli put on a masterclass thwarting Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Jacques Kallis and Imran Tahir, while driving on the Indian innings.
Kohli scored 119 off 181 deliveries, as India managed to score 280 in the first innings, helping save the team from a collapse. The bowlers backed that up as India took a first innings lead, after which Kohli scored 96 in the second innings, to pick up the player of the match award.
Melbourne 2014 – 169 vs Australia
Virat Kohli loves playing in Australia and has scored plenty of runs against them. In 2014, in the Boxing Day Test, Kohli delivered yet another masterclass, just before he took over the reins as captain of the team. A solid Australian attack including the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Shane Watson, and Nathan Lyon were tamed in style as Kohli owned the contest. Kohli and Rahane put on a solid partnership of 262 runs in the first innings, to help save the game. Australia almost edged it in the end, but MS Dhoni kept them out with R Ashwin, before calling it quits in Test cricket.
Mumbai 2016 – 235 vs England
This was the best season for Virat Kohli in Test cricket as he scored plenty of runs. Kohli scored a staggering 1215 runs in 12 Tests at an average of 75.93. In the form of his life, Kohli smashed his third double hundred against an attack that boasted of the likes of James Anderson, Chris Woakes, Jake Ball, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, and Adil Rashid, and none of them were spared at the Wankhede Stadium. England batted first in that match and got a solid total of 400. But India rode on a 340-ball 235 from Kohli to reply with 631 and win the match by an innings.
Birmingham 2018 – 149 vs England
After a disastrous tour of England in 2014, captain Kohli was back in UK, determined to set the record straight. The Birmingham Test is one of the most significant points of Kohli’s career, as he set the tone for the tour.
The tour started with a brilliant 149 off 225 in Birmingham, riding on a bit of luck and showing a lot of class. In full flow on that tour, England’s bowlers had no answer to the might of Kohli, who finished as the highest run-scorer for India in the five-match Test series. Kohli scored 593 runs in the series with 2 hundreds and three half-centuries. In fact, Kohli was miles ahead of batters on both sides, with the second highest run-getter being Jos Buttler with 349 runs to his name.
He also went on to score 103 in Nottingham on the same tour in the second innings. Kohli had missed a century in the first as he was dismissed for 97. And even though India lost the series, Kohli’s place among the greats was cemented.
Pune 2019 – 254 not out vs South Africa
It was a forgettable tour for South Africa, but it was a big win for captain Virat Kohli. India won the Test series 3-0 and Kohli notched up his highest Test score in Pune. India batted first and declared for a mammoth 601/5, with Kohli playing a sensational knock of 254 off 336. The Proteas had Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Keshav Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy in their attack, but they hardly troubled Kohli as he hit 33 fours and two sixes in his marathon knock.
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