Virat Kohli’s 5 best Test knocks: From 254 to 54

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, ending a magnificent 14-year-long career.

The former India captain scored 9230 runs in the red-ball format in 210 innings at an average of 46.85. He finishes his Test career with 30 centuries and 31 fifties.

Here are his top five best knocks in Tests:

1) 254 not out vs South Africa, Pune 2019 – Kohli’s highest Test score came during a dominant innings against South Africa. It was his seventh double century, during which he also crossed the 7,000-run mark in the format. His knock laid the foundation for India’s emphatic win by an innings and 137 runs.

Kohli’s Adelaide century in 2014 – one of those knocks that set a template for him and the entire team for a decade to come.
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Getty Images

2) 141 vs Australia, Adelaide 2014 – It was one of those innings that set the tone — for Kohli and for India — for the decade to come.

Chasing 364 against Australia, Kohli led the charge with an aggressive approach. Though India eventually fell short by 48 runs, his intent stood out.

He had also scored 115 in the first innings, becoming the first Indian to hit twin centuries on Test captaincy debut.

Kohli came into bat in the 10th over and was the last man out when he scored 153 against South Africa in Centurion 2018.
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REUTERS

3) 153 vs South Africa, Centurion 2018 – Kohli walked in during the 10th over and was the last man dismissed, scoring nearly half of India’s total of 307 in response to South Africa’s 335.

The next highest score in the innings was just 46.

Despite his effort, India lost the match by 135 runs.

Kohli scored 149 runs in his first innings returning to England after a horrific tour in 2014.
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Getty Images

4) 149 vs England, Birmingham 2018 – Kohli scored 149 in his first innings on return to England, exorcising the ghosts of a dismal 2014 tour where he had managed just 134 runs across 10 innings. He also became only the second Indian, after Sachin Tendulkar, to score a Test century at Edgbaston. Despite his heroics, India lost the match by 31 runs.

Kohli scored 54 and 41 on of the toughest pitches during the Johannesburg Test in 2018.
| Photo Credit:
AP

5) 54 vs South Africa, Johannesburg 2018 – One of Kohli’s most underrated Test knocks came on a pitch so difficult that even the host wanted the game called off. He battled through testing conditions, scoring 54 off 106 balls in the first innings and following it up with 41 off 79 in the second. India went on to win the match by 63 runs.