13 May,2025 08:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Rohan Koli
Virat Kohli. Pic/PTI
Virat Kohli, leading India for the first time in Test cricket as a stand-in captain in the absence of regular skipper MS Dhoni, led by example with centuries in both innings - 115 and 141 respectively. However, it was his fighting 141 on Day Five against a dominant Australian pace attack that drew the most attention. Chasing 364 for victory, India could have settled for a draw after being 242-2, but the skipper went on with the intent to win. He counter-attacked the Aussie pacers despite wickets falling regularly at the other end, maintaining an aggressive approach. His 175-ball innings included 16 fours and one six. Though India eventually lost the match by 48 runs, Kohli was widely praised for his winning mindset and
fearless leadership.
Kohli delivered his then career-best knock of 235 during the fourth Test against England at the Wankhede Stadium in 2016. With the pitch offering turn, Kohli tackled the English spinners with ease to take control of the game. His superb knock saw India post a mammoth 631 to set up an innings-and-36-run victory.
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Kohli came into the 2018 series under tremendous pressure after a forgettable 2014 tour of England, where he managed only 134 runs in five Tests at a poor average of 13.40. However, this time, leading India for the first time in English conditions, Kohli stood tall despite wickets falling around him to produce a masterclass, scoring a patient 149 against a potent English attack led by James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The significance of his knock was evident from the fact that the second-highest score for India in the innings was 26, made by opener Shikhar Dhawan. His fighting knock helped the team post 274 all out in the first innings of the opening Test. Though India went on to lose the game by just 31 runs, Kohli's innings was widely regarded as one of the finest centuries by an Indian in overseas conditions.
Kohli played one of his most challenging innings in overseas conditions during the second Test against South Africa at Centurion in 2018. Coming in at No. 4, he scored a commanding 153 on a lively pitch offering variable bounce. The skipper's innings included 15 boundaries. Kohli held the innings together with no other Indian batter managing to score a half-century. Despite India's massive 135-run defeat, Kohli was appreciated for his
determination.
Kohli smashed his career-best unbeaten 254 in the second Test against South Africa at Pune in 2019. Coming in at 136-2, Kohli tore the Proteas bowling apart. The stylish and aggressive right-handed batter's nearly eight-hour innings, laced with 33 fours and two maximums, helped India post a massive 601-5 declared, setting up a dominant innings-and-137-run win.
