Hardly a cricket fan will doubt the greatness of Virat Kohli in test cricket. He is a supreme representation of cricketing genius and has been an outstanding performer throughout the years for India. It’s not about a 3-4 year period of dominance but a decade-long record-breaking career, surpassing a number of greats from the previous generation.
A great player with so many spectacular innings under his belt, Kohli made his Test debut against West Indies in 2011 at Kingston alongside Abhinav Mukund, who played only 7 Test matches for India. Kohli, on the other hand, is still playing for India and is already recognized as one of the modern greats of the game.
It took Virat Kohli 8 matches to score his first career Test century, but it was worth the wait because it came against Australia at Adelaide. Australia had already scored 604 runs in the first innings, with Ponting and Clarke scoring double centuries. Virat came and batted beautifully against a potent Australian bowling attack. The Indian top order had already faltered, and he was the only Indian batter to go past the 35-run mark. It was an innings manifested by willingness and resilience, which saw Kohli stand tall against all the odds in challenging conditions.
Kohli’s first century for India came in Bengaluru, which was yet to be his adopted home ground. It was a match-winning 103-run knock against New Zealand. Tim Southee bowled really well in that match, getting a 7-wicket haul. Kohli delivered what India needed at the moment because other batters had scores in the high 70s, but a century in the second innings was required to have an edge over the talented New Zealand side. In the fourth innings, Kohli remained not out on 51 in a successful chase of 261 runs.
At this point in his career, Kohli was already an established name, and his reputation was higher than other players. His century against South Africa at Johannesburg was a tremendous effort that inspired the entire team. Facing Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, and Dale Steyn in South African conditions can never be easy, but Kohli not only faced them but scored 119 runs on a challenging pitch, followed by a 96-run knock in the second innings. He displayed his exceptional skills in that match, making it a treat to watch him bat so flawlessly.
Once again, Adelaide comes into the scene, and Virat Kohli found his way to dominate the Aussies in both innings with 115 and 141-run knocks. Amazingly, he kept India alive in the hunt for a 364-run chase by his own efforts. Barring 99 from Murali Vijay and 141 from Virat Kohli, all other batters had a very short stay at the crease. The Aussies were bewildered because they knew how devastating it could have been for them if they didn’t get the better of Virat. For a while, it looked like he could not be dismissed, but cricket is an unpredictable game. From 276/4, India stumbled to 315 runs all-out.
This time around, England was at the receiving end of Kohli’s brilliant 167-run knock at Visakhapatnam in 2016. Both Indian openers were sent back to the pavilion early in the innings, but Virat Kohli had his own plans to deal with England’s premium fast bowlers, Broad and Anderson. It was a brilliantly played sublime knock without giving much to English bowlers who had to toil hard in extreme conditions. Kohli and Pujara shared a 226-run partnership for the third wicket. After scoring 167 in the first innings, Kohli had another fine knock of 81 runs in the second innings.
Virat Kohli has established himself as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, and his record against the top three teams in the world is a testament to his greatness. He has scored centuries against Australia, South Africa, and England in all conditions, and he has often played match-winning innings under pressure.
