Kohli made his Test debut against the West Indies in Kingston as a 22-year-old in 2011, just after India won the 50-over World Cup for the second time, and only managed 4 and 15 runs in the match. But in the decade following, he has firmly established himself as one of the game’s all-time greats.
Kohli has scored runs all over the world as a batsman and is considered one of the best players of his age. No other player has scored as many hundreds in Test cricket as Kohli has in his first ten years. He has a century against every Test nation, except for Bangladesh, where he has only played one Test and a 50-plus average in Australia and South Africa.
1.149 vs England – Edgbaston
India, like their past appearances in England, lost a flurry of early wickets. India appeared to be on the verge of another collapse at 100-5. One man, though, stood up. Virat Kohli took a step forward. He slowed down his natural game, leaving a large number of balls beyond the off-stump, and displaying more patience and restraint than he had in his whole career. And he reaped the benefits of his determination. In England, he scored his maiden half-century in 11 innings and then went on to score an amazing century. After his century, he demonstrated his counter-attacking abilities by leading the team from 217-9 to 274 runs on his own.
2.141 vs Australia – Adelaide
Kohli scored hundreds in both innings in the opening game at Adelaide, almost leading his team to an unlikely victory. Following a 115-run first inning, the right-hander pitched a complete game in the second. India was assigned a goal of 364 runs, and Kohli trusted in himself and kept chipping away at the mark even as wickets fell around him. India was eventually defeated by 48 runs, but Kohli’s 141 off 175 became an instant classic.
3.153 vs South Africa – Centurion
Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli were at it again in response to South Africa’s first-innings tally of 335, but the other Indian batters were unable to give any assistance to their leader. Kohli did not appear to be fazed by this, as he took the initiative and led from the front, scoring a century as his colleagues barely made it over the 50-run barrier. However, a solid second-inning effort by AB de Villiers sealed India’s destiny, as the visitors lost the match by 135 runs.
4.235 vs England – Mumbai 2016
England played India in a five-Test series in 2016, losing the second and third games following a tie in the first. The action then went to Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where Kohli hit his third double century (and his best score at the time) in Test cricket. The right-hander had a fantastic year in 2016, destroying the likes of James Anderson, Chris Woakes, Jake Ball, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, and Adil Rashid across all forms. In the match, England batted first and amassed a respectable 400-run total. On the other hand, India responded with 631 and won the match by an innings, with batting Kohli’s 340-ball 235.
5.254* vs South Africa – Pune 2019
South Africa’s 2019 visit to India was a disaster, as they were comprehensively outplayed in the Test series, losing 0-3. India won by 203 runs in the first Test, an innings and 137 runs in the second, and an innings and 202 runs in the third. While captain Kohli’s victory was crucial, the series was also notable for him as a batsman, as he scored his best Test score during the second match in Pune. India batted first and declared for a massive 601/5, with skipper Virat Kohli undefeated on 254 from 336 balls.
