Virat Kohli’s Test retirement marks the end of an era defined as much by numbers as by nerve. India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the format didn’t just amass centuries — he announced himself in enemy territory, swung momentum with attitude, and made belief contagious.
Ravi Shastri, who coached India during Kohli’s most defining years, recalled a moment that encapsulates his legacy: the 2014 Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. “I can never forget his verbal exchange with Mitchell Johnson. He kept needling the Aussie during the lunch break. Both stared at each other, but I could see that Virat’s ferocity gave the Australian a strong message. A fight was on. It surely was. Virat hammered a sensational 169.”
That series was Kohli’s turning point. Captain in Adelaide — stepping in for the injured M.S. Dhoni — he scored twin tons with an intent that felt new-age, yet deeply Indian. He went on to average 86.50 across the four-match series, making it clear he belonged not just in the team, but in its folklore.
Kohli’s love affair with Australia didn’t end there. His 2018 century on a searing Perth pitch — where most batters faltered — was another testament. “It was a fast track with the ball flying around, but he tore into the bowlers even as most other batsmen looked ordinary on that pitch. Tendulkar also hit a century in Perth in 1992, but then the conditions were so different,” Shastri added, highlighting the grit it took.
In all, Kohli scored seven centuries in Australia — more than any other touring batter since Jack Hobbs and Wally Hammond.
Read the full story here – Shastri on Kohli
