Our Bureau
Mumbai
Legendary Indian batter Virat Kohli on Monday pulled down the curtains on a 14-year-long, 123 match big Test career which will be fondly remembered for the massive highs it touched as much as the puzzling and heartbreaking lows that truly make his long-format statistics a case of “What it could have been?”.
Here are some late-career gems from Virat in the decade of the 2020s:
74 against Australia, Adelaide, December 2020:
India was 32/2 after opting to bat first. This high-pressure situation was a perfect entry point for Virat. With the pink ball moving really good, Virat batted with serenity, contrasting with the ball’s cunning ways. He took down spinner Nathan Lyon with some fine shots down the ground and trademark drives, and continued his upper hand over Mitchell Starc. Virat’s footwork and temperament was on point. It looked certain that the Adelaide Oval crowd was set to witness the fourth century from Virat. However, a miscommunication with Ajinkya Rahane led to his run out after a 74 in 180 balls, with eight fours. The partnership broke at 88 runs, and it was all downhill from India from that point.
While the 36-all-out scoreline in the second innings perhaps haunted the public and Indian players for a few days after the loss, it also marked the starting point of Virat’s decline in Tests, as in the coming days came several poor scores and missed opportunities to score a century.
62 against England, Chennai, February 2021:
After a loss in the first Test, India looked on course of a series-levelling win after gaining a 195-run lead in the second Test. However, India’s bid to swell its lead faced a brilliant fightback from spinners Mooen Ali and Jack Leach.
Virat, coming in at 55/2, put up a remarkable fight against two frontline spinners. He scored 62 in 149 balls, with seven fours, including four against Leach and two against Moeen. His slog sweep against Moeen emerged as one that fans could smash the replay button for hours. His rock-solid defence and quick footwork helped him stay on the crease and stitch a 96-run seventh-wicket stand with Ravichandran Ashwin. By the time he was eighth wicket gone at 202, he had done his job well.
79 against South Africa, Cape Town, January 2022:
In the final Test at Cape Town with the series levelled 1-1, Virat’s men had a rare chance to register their first-ever series win in SA. Virat’s entry point was India at 33/2.
The veteran batter was mindful with each step he took, each bat swing he put forward against South African bowlers. The majority of his boundaries were his trademark drives, particularly through the covers, pulls etc. While the backfoot offense was pretty limited, Virat nonetheless put on a resilient performance, scoring 79 in 201 balls, with 12 fours and a six. He was the ninth wicket to fall for 211 runs. While India lost the game by seven wickets and the series too, this knock stands out as one of his grittiest and controlled efforts.
186 against Australia, Ahmedabad, March 2023:
Virat’s first Test hundred in four years. While Virat was underwhelming in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home and vulnerable to Australia’s newest spin duo of Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy, his battle with old foe Nathan Lyon took the centrestage. After retaining the trophy, both sides were treated to an absolute flattie of a wicket, and they took it with both hands. Virat tamed Lyon well on a surface that did not offer much help, scoring 61 in 152 balls against him with four boundaries. Overall, he ended with 186 in 364 balls, with 15 fours, guiding India to 571 in reply to Australia’s first innings total of 480. The match ended in a draw, but fans got their money’s worth thanks to this Virat marathon.
76 against South Africa, Centurion, December 2023:
With South Africa having a commanding lead following a Dean Elgar masterclass of 185, India had to cut down on a 163-run deficit. Against a fiery pace unit of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Nandre Burger, India looked helpless. On the other hand, Virat batted with the tempo of an ODI game in a different universe altogether. With delightful trademark cover drives, backfooted shots, pulls, and overall wearing a majestic look, Virat’s batting was every fan’s dream come true. While he could not prevent an innings defeat for India as he ran short of partners, Virat gave a proof of his otherworldly ability in SA, scoring 76 in 82 balls, with 12 fours and a six, with India all out at 131.
