Imagine this. 275 runs needed for the Indian team off 80 overs. The pitch is a sluggish one with a very slow outfield. Team India are two down for 45 runs. In walks Virat Kohli, with his usual swagger and razor-sharp focus.
He cuts, drives, flicks and smacks the ball across all the corners of the ground. With every stroke, the pressure shifts onto the opponent. Suddenly, the scoreboard reads 185/4 with Virat Kohli still standing tall on the ground.
As the game progresses, Virat Kohli takes his team closer to the target. With just 10 needed off the final two overs, he makes sure Team India reaches the target with ease.
Chasemaster, does it again.
Well, the time has come when we will not be hearing praises. The near-perfect chases or the perfect cover drive hit by the right-hander.
The King of Indian Cricket, Virat Premnath Kohli, has decided to call it quits on his Test career. After dominating all three formats for over 15 years, the Indian superstar has decided to retire from red-ball cricket.
From leading India to consecutive WTC finals to becoming the first Indian skipper to win a test series in Australia to the twin hundreds at Adelaide in 2014, Virat has done a tremendous job that made everyone a big supporter of his brand of cricket.
Here, as we go down the memory lane, Team God Of Sports lists down the top 5 innings of Virat Kohli proving why he was a red-ball superstar.
254* vs South Africa, Pune, 2019
Virat Kohli’s career-best Test score came against the South Africans during the 2019 Test series between the two nations. 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.
Virat’s innings was filled with 33 fours and 2 sixes, dismantling the South African bowling attack featuring Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander, and debutant Anrich Nortje.
Kohli’s unbeaten double century helped Team India post a mammoth score of 601/5 dec. and win the second Test by an innings and 137 runs. He was also adjudged the Man of the Match for his marathon innings in Pune.
149 vs England, Edgbaston, 2018
The 2018 Test series against England was one to remember for Kohli and his supporters. After flopping massively in the 2014 series vs England, this series was one where Kohli was on a mission. A mission to control his cover drive striking urges and leave the 4th ball stump.
The right-hander amassed 593 runs at an average of 59.30, including two hundred and three fifties in ten innings. Among the 593 runs, 149 runs out of them came in one specific innings. In the first test at Edgbaston during the 2018 Test series, Kohli scored his very first Test century. During that innings, Kohli constructed a 149-run knock and single-handedly took India to a respectable total. His 22 boundaries and one six put pressure back on the English bowlers.
115 & 141 vs Australia, Adelaide, 2014
This series, widely remembered as MS Dhoni’s last Test series, saw the emergence of a new Test superstar of Indian cricket. Virat Kohli, who had done unbelievable things in white ball cricket, had yet to do anything substantial in red-ball cricket.
Cometh the 2014 Test series down under, a young Virat Kohli unleashed fire on the Aussie bowlers. During the third test of the 2014 tour, the Delhi-born batter smashed twin hundreds (115 & 141), becoming one of the very few Indians to achieve this rare feat.
His second-innings 141 came while India was chasing 364 on a turning track. Though India lost, Kohli’s fearless intent redefined India’s overseas approach in the future.
153 vs South Africa – Centurion, 2018
Everyone knows how difficult South African pitches are to bat on. With the ball swinging both ways in overcast conditions, Virat Kohli produced a knock that no one can ever forget during the South Africa tour of 2018.
In the second test at Centurion, Kohli produced a masterclass, scoring 153 runs off 217 balls. His knock included 15 boundaries and was a mix of elegant stroke play and steely resolve.
Despite such a wonderful knock against the likes of Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander, Lungi Ngidi, and Keshav Maharaj, Team India lost the test by 135 runs.
123 vs Australia, Perth, 2019
Perth always has the fastest pitch in the entirety of Australia. Having lost the first test against India, Australia went back to basics by preparing a spicy pitch during the 2018-19 tour. But it was no competition for Team India skipper Virat Kohli as he smashed the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins.
With a careful combination of controlled aggression and mature gameplay, Virat scored 123 runs off 257 balls. He smashed 13 boundaries and one maximum during his stay at the crease.
Despite his valiant effort in the first innings, Team India lost the test by 146 runs.
Conclusion
So, here we were with the 5 innings by Virat Kohli that proved he was not just a white ball superstar. Comment down your thoughts on these innings by the RCB superstar. Also, let us know which one (besides these) is your favourite.
