Virat Kohli missed Test records: 5 achievements that slipped through his fingers

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli called time on his Test career on Monday morning ahead of the five-match tour of England. The 36-year-old last played for India in Australia, where he scored a total of 190 runs, which also included a century in the Perth Test. This was Kohli’s 30th and final century in Test cricket. This is also the second shocking retirement from the longest format after Rohit Sharma’s decision last week. 

Kohli made his Test debut in 2011 in the West Indies and soon became a key fixture of the side. The right-handed batter got his first Test ton in Adelaide, where he scored 116 runs. In 2015, Kohli took over the captaincy on a full-time basis after MS Dhoni retired post the Melbourne Test in 2014. 

In the 68 games that Kohli led the side, Team India won 40 matches and reached the 2021 WTC finals. It was under Kohli that India were also able to win their first-ever Test series in Australia. In early 2022, Kohli quit as Test captain post India’s loss to South Africa, as one of the most successful captains of all time. 

Here are the five records Virat Kohli has missed in Test cricket 

5. Potential top run-getter in India vs South Africa Test history

Virat Kohli has played 16 Tests against South Africa and scored 1408 runs with an average of 54, along with three centuries and five fifties. With India set to take on South Africa later this year, Kohli needed just 334 runs more to go past Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored 1741 runs in the India vs South Africa Test matches. Hashim Amla (1528) and Jacques Kallis (1734) are ahead of Kohli in this list. 

4. Joining rare list in India vs England Test history

Former India skipper Kohli needed just nine runs to become the fifth batter to aggregate 2000 runs in the India vs England Test series. Kohli has scored 1991 runs from 28 games with five centuries and nine fifties with an average of 42. For the record, Joe Root leads the list with 2846 runs while Sachin Tendulkar is second with 2535 runs. 

3. Most Test centuries against Australia

Australia has brought out the best in Kohli in the Test format over the years. The right-handed batter scored his first Test ton against the Aussies and also scored his first ton as skipper against the same opposition. Kohli has scored a total of nine Test tons vs Australia, which is the joint third most, along with Wally Hammond, Richie Richardson, David Gower, and Brian Lara. The record for most centuries against Australia belongs to Jack Hobbs with 12, while Sachin Tendulkar has hit 11 tons. 

2. Highest run-getter for India in World Test Championship

World Test Championships have become the pinnacle of determining the best side in the longest format. Kohli ended his WTC stint with 2617 runs from 46 games with an average of 35, with five tons and 11 fifties. Kohli just needed 99 runs to go past Rohit Sharma’s 2716 runs to become India’s top run-scorer in the Test championships. Rohit scored his runs off 40 games with an average of 41, with nine tons and eight fifties. 

1. Elusive 10,000 Test runs mark

When Virat Kohli was at the height of his run-scoring form in Test cricket, everyone earmarked Kohli to achieve the feat with ease. So much so, while Kohli was dominating with his run-scoring, Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson were left behind. Smith and Root have both scored the 10K mark, while Williamson just needs 724 runs to become the first Kiwi batter to reach the landmark. Kohli finishes 770 runs adrift of becoming the fourth Indian to achieve this feat.