Best of Virat Kohli's innings that stamped his authority as modern-day great

New Delhi, May 12 From his debut century in Adelaide to a fighting knock in Perth, Virat Kohli’s Test career has been full of powerful performances. He showed great skill and determination, whether playing in tough overseas conditions or leading the team at home. These special innings were not just about scoring runs - they showed his passion, focus, and love for the game.

Kohli, a modern-day great and one of the most prolific batters in the history of Test cricket, announced his retirement from the longest format of the game at the age of 36 on Monday.

From his debut in 2011 to becoming one of India's most successful captains, Kohli's 30 Test centuries make him the fourth-most successful Indian batter in the format after Sachin Tendulkar (51 hundreds), Rahul Dravid (36) and Sunil Gavaskar (34). Kohli also made seven Test double hundreds, the most ever by an Indian. He also has the most Test hundreds by an Indian captain (20 centuries), way ahead of 11 tons by Gavaskar.

From leading India to historic overseas triumphs to crafting match-defining centuries under pressure, Kohli stood tall almost every time. Here are some of Kohli's blitzkrieg knocks in Test cricket for India.

119 & 96 vs South Africa in Johannesburg (2013)

In his first tour to South Africa, Kohli announced his arrival in tough overseas conditions with scores of 119 and 96 at the Wanderers, Johannesburg in 2013.

His first-innings century laid the foundation for India’s strong total, while his composed 96 in the second innings nearly resulted in twin centuries in the match.

India narrowly missed out on a famous win as South Africa held on for a draw, but Kohli’s performance established him as India’s next batting superstar in Tests.

115 & 141 vs Australia in Adelaide (2014)

Taking over as India’s stand-in Test captain for the first time in Adelaide after MS Dhoni’s injury, Kohli led from the front with twin centuries - 115 in the first innings and 141 in the second.

His first innings was full of confident strokeplay, dominating the Australian attack on a flat pitch. However, it was his second innings 141 that truly stood out. Chasing 364 for victory, Kohli launched a bold counterattack despite losing partners at regular intervals, refusing to play for a draw

Even though India lost by 48 runs, Kohli’s leadership and fearless batting were widely lauded and marked the beginning of his assertive captaincy era.

235 vs England in Mumbai (2016)

In the fourth Test of England’s tour of India in 2016 at the Wankhede Stadium, Kohli produced a monumental innings of 235 - his then highest score in Test cricket. He batted for nearly nine hours, facing 340 deliveries, with 25 fours and a six, exhibiting exceptional stamina and concentration.

This knock was also part of a golden run for Kohli, marking his third double-century in the same year - a record for an Indian captain at the time.

149 vs England in Edgbaston (2018)

Kohli silenced critics and rewrote his narrative in England with a stunning 149 in the first Test at Edgbaston in 2018 - his very first century in England.

Coming into the series under immense pressure after his poor outing in England in 2014, Kohli faced a formidable attack featuring James Anderson and Stuart Broad once again under testing conditions. He almost single-handedly kept India in the game as wickets kept tumbling at the other end.

His innings included 22 boundaries and a six and was a blend of patience and aggression, with Kohli leading the strike superbly during the tail-end partnerships.

153 vs South Africa in Centurion (2018)

At Centurion in 2018, Kohli played one of his grittiest knocks under difficult overseas conditions. On a pitch with variable bounce and against a quality South African pace attack led by Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, Kohli compiled a superb 153 out of India’s total of 307.

What made the innings remarkable was how Kohli stood tall as wickets kept falling at the other end - no other Indian batter crossed 50 in the innings. His knock included 15 boundaries and was a mix of elegant stroke play and steely resolve.

254 vs South Africa in Pune (2019)

Kohli’s career-best Test score of 254 not out came in the second Test of the 2019 series against South Africa at Pune. His innings, studded with 33 fours and 2 sixes, dismantled a quality South African bowling attack featuring Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander, and debutant Anrich Nortje

Walking in at 136/2 after the openers laid a solid foundation, Kohli anchored the innings with supreme control, pacing his knock perfectly over nearly eight hours at the crease. Kohli’s unbeaten double-century helped India declare at 601/5, setting up a dominant innings and 137-run victory.

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