Top 5 Test knocks by Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli says goodbye to Test cricket after 123 Test matches, 9230 runs, 30 hundreds, and 31 half-centuries. In addition to his stats, his legacy in whites will be remembered for the passion, aggression, and hunger he brought to the red-ball format, being the hallmark of modern-day Test Cricket.

As the greatest Test captain India has ever produced, Kohli defined a whole era of Indian Test cricket with grace and fire, from leading India to renowned victories abroad to creating memorable performances under duress. Let's attempt to rank some of his most effective knocks.

   5. 119 & 96 vs South Africa – Johannesburg, 2013

With scores of 119 and 96 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in 2013, Kohli made his debut in South Africa under challenging international circumstances.

His century in the first innings set the stage for India's impressive total, and his cool-headed 96 in the second innings almost gave the team twin hundreds. Both cricket pundits and former players praised his ability to adapt his style and temperament to the South African environment.

South Africa held out for a draw, denying India a historic victory, but Kohli's performance made him India's next batting sensation in Test cricket.

   4. 115 & 141 vs Australia – Adelaide, 2014

For both Kohli and India, it was one of those innings that determined the course of the next ten years. After MS Dhoni's injury, Kohli took charge of India for the first time and rose to the occasion like a born leader. 

In a crucial Adelaide Test match, he scored two hundreds: 115 in the opening innings and an audacious 141 in the second while chasing 364. With daring strokeplay in his second innings, he came dangerously close to winning. Despite the defeat, Kohli's bold strategy paved the way for a new age of leadership.

   3. 243 vs Sri Lanka - Delhi, 2017

In late 2017, Virat Kohli once again revelled in his golden touch with the bat, this time in front of his Delhi home audience. The cricketer, who led the Indian side from the front in the series final, scored 243 runs from 287 balls while hitting 25 beautiful boundaries and keeping an incredible strike rate of 84.67. On Day 5, however, the game finished in a high-scoring stalemate, and Kohli's team won the series 1-0.

    2. 149 vs England - Edgbaston, 2014

England had revealed Kohli's weakness in 2014. He came back to deal with the critics four years later. On a seaming track at Edgbaston, he scored a heroic 149 against Anderson and Broad. Kohli farmed the strike and brought India within touching distance with minimal assistance from the opposition. Even though India lost by 31 runs, this knock will go down in history as one of the best hundreds an Indian has ever made abroad.

   1. 254* vs South Africa - Pune, 2019

In the second Test of the 2019 series against South Africa at Pune, Virat Kohli achieved his career-highest Test score of 254*.

With 33 fours and two sixes in his innings, he destroyed a strong South African bowling attack that included Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, and debutant Anrich Nortje. His beautiful strokeplay and strong defence prevented them all from getting past him.

India declared at 601/5 thanks to Kohli's undefeated double-century, which paved the way for a commanding innings and a 137-run triumph.

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