Virat Kohli is going to add another milestone to his list as he’ll be playing his 100th Test Match. The match versus Sri Lanka is set to be played in Mohali with the audience packing the stadium. Here in this article, we have discussed Virat Kohli’s Test Milestones.
Virat Kohli is already a legend, the class personified. The man has proven his excellence with beautiful batting, outstanding fielding efforts, and incredible captaincy in Test Cricket for India.
Let’s take a look at How Virat Kohli became King Kohli and changed the way the world view Test Cricket.
Lone Soldier Down Under:
Playing with the likes of V Sehwag, R Dravid, S Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman, Virat Kohli turned out to be the only centurion from team India who scored 300 runs in total, the highest by any Indian batter in the series. Virat’s maiden century, a 116(213) in the first test was a fighting inning that made the Indian audience keep faith in his talent and be happy about the future is bright for the country.
The Batting Maestro of 2014:
The relationship between Kohli and Australia became quite definitive and the world was introduced to the masterclass of Kohli in 2014. Virat Kohli led India for the first time and under the guidance of MS Dhoni, he flared like no other. Virat scored 692 runs in four test matches which is the highest ever by an Indian batter in a tour to Australia. He scored back to back double centuries and showed world skills that are rarely witnessed.
Daredevil Kohli in South Africa 2013:
South Africa is still a frontier untouched by India. It is a land of skill. In 2013, Virat Kohli showed the world his world-class batting and made sure the opponent knew he isn’t afraid of them. With Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, and Kallis in the pace attack, Virat played them with calm yet showed fierce attitude scoring 119.
Dream years of 2016-18:
2016 has to be the year when Virat Kohli took cricket to another level. His fitness game was strong and batting form the mightiest. During the course of three years, Virat changed his aura. He silenced his critics and went on to achieve things we had only seen Sachin Tendulkar, his idol do. His hunger for runs was so strong that it was impossible for bowlers to stop him. He scored a total of 29 centuries in all formats. He was rightly called the run machine as he scored 1000+ runs with a 70+ average.
The Captain who made it through:
As mentioned earlier, the relationship between Australia and Kohli is favorable to the latter. Even though earlier he managed to score runs like no other but he couldn’t manage to make his team win the series. Amidst controversies, finally, King Kohli made it through the troughs of Australia bringing the series home for the first time ever in 2019.
The Team No.1:
When Virat Kohli took over as full-time captain of India in Test, the team was placed at number 7 on world rankings charts. Over the years, Virat built a team of strong-headed players who focused on their fitness along with their cricketing skills. Under his leadership, India managed to get to the top spot in the ICC Test ranking in just 36 months. Thanks to him, we see a completely different side now, a team with zeal and a passion to win it all in each and every individual.
Who Is The Most Successful Indian Test Captain?
With an impressive win percentage of 58.8%, Virat Kohli became the most successful test captain for India. He led India in 68 matches which is the most by any Test Captain, winning a whopping 40 and losing only 17 tests. Under his captaincy, we saw many young players turning to the best and a lot of them give credit to Virat for his guidance and never-give-up attitude. It was on 15th Jan 2022, when he stepped down as captain of the Test team.
There is a lot to talk about Virat Kohli the player, the captain but we cannot deny how he has grown as a person over the years. By backing his teammates to stand up for what he feels is right, Virat has shown his courage both on and off the field. Rightly giving credit for his success to his wife, teammates, and coaches, we have seen a humble side of him even through his fierce personality.
Virat Kohli is now playing his 100th Test and is only the 12th Indian player to achieve this feat.
We have seen him rise and achieve the best, we wish he continues to grow and make his team win matches like he always does!
