Top 5 iconic moments of Virat Kohli in Test cricket history

When former Indian captain MS Dhoni passed on the Test captaincy to Virat Kohli in December 2014, many people doubted the decision. People opposed because Kohli was young, ruthless, and held an attitude of not caring what others think. However, what happened later was history. The right-handed batter captained the Indian Test team in 68 matches and won 40 out of them. This record easily makes him one of the best captains in the history of the game.

Now, if we talk about his stats as a player, Kohli has played in 123 matches, amassing 9230 runs, at an average of 46.85. He peaked as a player in 2016, scoring 1457 runs, including five centuries, three of which he converted into double tons in 11 matches. This is not it, he also became the first captain to register nine Test wins in a calendar year. 

Moreover, Kohli was the third to score three double centuries in a year after Don Bradman and Ricky Ponting. He was going through a purple patch as he became the first Indian to score over 1000 runs in a year since Rahul Dravid's 1145 runs in 2011. Now that Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, Indian cricket will miss his services. There are many iconic moments of Kohli in the format, and we'll discuss them in this article. 

Here are five iconic moments of Virat Kohli in Test cricket:

1. Taking India to the No.1 position in the Test ranking

Virat Kohli's captaincy journey wasn't an easy one. When he got the captaincy, India ranked No. 7 in the ICC Test Rankings back in 2014. However, with consistent wins in the format, India jumped to the No.1 position in 2017. This was the proudest moment and was a feather in the cap of Kohli and the Indian team, as it came after beating many teams in the process.

The toughest job was to retain the sport for consecutive years till 2019. For the first time in history, India won the Test mace for three back-to-back years, which was nothing less than a massive achievement. Kohli and Co. were just outstanding and unbeatable in the format. They did have an off-time in England in 2018, but the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2018 compensated for it. This is one of the main reasons why Kohli is considered one of the greatest captains in Test cricket. 

2. Dominating Australia for a decade

Virat Kohli loves playing against Australia in Australia, which is a known fact. However, the dominance he had on the Aussies was incredible. For almost a decade, India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, dominating the Men in Yellow. When Kohli and Co. won the BGT back in 2018 in Australia, it was the most iconic moment for Indian Cricket as they had never won a single series against the hosts in their own backyard. Kohli scored 282 runs in seven innings at an average of 40.28, including one half-century and a century. The winning streak continued for four years straight until India lost in 2024 by 3-1 under Rohit Sharma. 

3. 115 & 141 vs Australia – Adelaide, 2014

The Test series in Australia in 2014 was something different for Kohli. He scored 692 in eight innings, at an average of 86.50. Despite all his efforts, India lost the series by 2-1. However, this was the series that changed the fortune of Indian cricket and Virat Kohli in Test cricket. The then-young batter had to take on the responsibility of the team as Dhoni retired from Test cricket in between the series. 

However, in the first match of the game, Kohli acted as the stand-in captain for India in place of MS Dhoni and smashed two back-to-back centuries (115 and 141 runs) in one single game, creating history. Australia did win the match by a mere margin of 48 runs, but India's efforts were top-notch in the game. If the batters had stayed alongside Kohli from one end, then India could have easily chased down the given target. However, that turned out to be the start of Virat Kohli's era in Test cricket.

4. 119 & 96 vs South Africa – Johannesburg, 2013

When India went to play the Test series in South Africa in 2013, Virat Kohli started off with a century (119 runs) and a 96-run innings in the first match, announcing his arrival in style. India couldn't win the match as it ended in a draw, but Kohli won the Player of the Match award for his dominating performance. Overall, in four innings, the batter scored 272 runs at an average of 68.00. The young batter showed his resilience and passion for the game as he batted with zest and enthusiasm in all the innings. He made it easy for MS Dhoni to pass on the baton by being consistent in red-ball cricket. 

5. 149 vs England – Edgbaston, 2018

Virat Kohli slammed his first-ever century in England in 2018 in the first match of the Test series. It came in as an answer to the trolls he faced before the start of the series. Kohli's previous England series in 2014 was a forgettable one. Hence, he made sure to make tons of memories in this series. Kohli scored 149 runs in Edgbaston, bashing Stuart Broad and James Anderson, who came in to threaten him with the new ball. He walked in to bat when India were 54-2. However, he outplayed the bowling attack, hitting 22 boundaries and a six. This showed his resilience throughout the innings. Despite his efforts, India lost the match by 31 runs.