VIRAT KOHLI’S 100TH TEST: A LOOK AT HIS JOURNEY IN WHITES SO FAR
Virat Kohli has come a long way as a Test cricketer since his debut in 2011 against West Indies. The Delhi-lad did not have a good run in the first match as he could only score 19 runs. But after a decade-long journey, Kohli is now all set to play his 100th Test match in Mohali on March 4. Having donned the white jersey in 99 Test matches, Kohli has scored 7962 runs at a stellar average of 50.39. Kohli led the Indian team in 68 Tests and won 40 matches. He has a wholesome win percentage of 58.82%. In the first 10 years of Test cricket, nobody has amassed as many centuries as Kohli did. Kohli’s most successful year was 2016 when he hammered 1215 runs in 12 Tests.
In the 2011-12 tour, India were locking horns against Australia in the final Test. The righthander only scored just 43 runs in total in the first two Tests. But in Adelaide and in the 14th innings of his Test career, Kohli hit his first century in the longest format. He was asked to bat at No 6 in the middleorder which had players like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman, he amassed 116 runs in India’s total of 272 in their first innings. After tasting defeat in the first two Tests in the 2013-’14 tour of Australia, India came to Melbourne for the third game. Kohli made 169 runs against a deadly attack having Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Shane Watson, and Nathan Lyon. He built a solid 262-run fourth-wicket partnership with Ajinkya Rahane (147) and helped India tie the match. This was the same Test after
which Dhoni announced his retirement from the Test format. 235–Mumbai 2016 England came to India in 2016 to play a five-Test series. The match was held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and that’s when Kohli hammered double century. The right-hander punished the likes of James Anderson, Chris Woakes, Jake Ball, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, and Adil Rashid to the cleaners. England batted first in that match and made 400 runs. But India with the help of Kohli’s 235 scored 631 and won the match by an innings.
254–Pune 2019
South Africa’s tour of India in 2019 was a crucial one for Virat Kohli, the series was also known to him as a batsman as he marked his highest Test score during the second match in Pune. India batted first and declared after scoring 601 runs. Kohli made an outstanding 254 runs. The Proteas had Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Keshav Maharaj, and Senuran Muthusamy in their attack, but they did not disturb Kohli as he hit 33 fours and two sixes in his knock.
Best five-Test records:
1. Kohli’s record of 20 Test centuries as skipper is the secondmost for any player. Only Graeme Smith (25) is ahead of him.
2. The former Indian captain’s 27 centuries since his debut are only equalled by Australia’s Steve Smith and are more than David Warner, Joe Root and Kane Williamson.
3. Kohli-led Indian team have won 24 Test matches at home.
4. Kohli also holds the record for most Test wins as Indian captain. Kohli led India to win 40 out of 68 matches