King Kohli’s empire: A glance at five of his very special Test knocks

Test cricket in India was left with an immeasurable void as Virat Kohli stepped down from the longest format of the game after 14 years. An era that started with a youngster famished to prove a point met a fairytale conclusion where the King established a kingdom like never before. He wasn’t just a great in red-ball format but a visionary, a man who often drew comparisons with the Gods of the sport -  Sachin Tendulkar, Sir Donald Bradman, Gary Sobers to name a few.

With the raw emotions of Virat Kohli stepping down from Test cricket still to sink in, fans would love to tune in to those glorious knocks those he played over the years. Whether it was Wankhede that witnessed the King scale his first peak or Johannesburg where the King was simply brilliant, whether it was the Adelaide where Virat took the tectonic strides of being the Emperor or Melbourne where he zipped the rowdy Aussie crowd with a knock straight from the cricketing folklore, Virat etched history in his finest form. In the wake of him stepping down from Test cricket, here are five of his very special knocks in the longest format of the game.

Anarchy at Adelaide:

Back in the day, things got really helter-skelter for India whenever they travelled away from home to be a part of a Test series. With Sachin Tendulkar bidding adieu to cricket a year before, things looked ominous for the Indians and to add to their challenges, they were travelling to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. First Test in and India had a flurry of rising youngsters, hoping to prove a point. In response to Australia’s 517 in the first innings, India had a good start. However, the treacherous mile that waited for them needed a conductor of the highest order who could knit together a symphony of magnificent madness. After Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara had already laid the foundation blocks, Virat Kohli stepped into the center, not like a gladiator willing to take on death but a man possessed with determination and unwavering hunger to keep the Aussies on their toes.

Strokes flew like embers of fire, destruction rained down upon the hosts like a volcano supreme. A bowling line-up that comprised Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle and Shane Watson was being zipped shut by the effusive eloquence of VK’s bat. An extraordinary 115 from Virat proved to be the heart of India’s formidable response in the first innings Down Under. However, that wasn’t the end of it all. Kohli was simply warming up. India was handed over a target of 364 runs, which was definitely a daunting number to shoot down. However, Kohli decided to go after it. Instead of rolling up in a shell, Kohli shot the blasters and Australia felt the heat. Much to Kohli’s woes, things didn’t go as per plan as he ran short of support at the other end but his incredible knock of 141 saw India fight until their last breath. That was the start of a revolution.

Melbourne Mayhem:

Virat Kohli’s impressive showdown in Adelaide had shot up the expectations through the skies in the remainder of the series. Come Melbourne, Australia dished out another batting masterclass as Steve Smith brought out a ruthless assault making the Indian bowlers drip with frustration. King Kohli decided to pay it back in the same coin. On a track that was more or less flat, Kohli started smashing the Aussie bowlers for fun. Watchful of the lateral drift and Nathan Lyon’s wrong ‘uns, Kohli advanced in stunning fashion. While Cheteshwar Pujara frustrated the Aussie bowlers at the other end, Kohli unleashed a full-blown aggression, wiping out the smiles of his counterparts. He eventually rocked a sensational 169 before going onto score another incredible half-century in the second innings.

Navigator of Nottingham:

Setting foot in England, India were staring at a mighty English side which had a good chunk of bowlers willing to hurl the almighty at the Indian batting unit. Unfazed, undaunted and undeterred, Kohli took centerstage at Nottingham, not just in one but both the innings to see India run away with a famous win. Kohli’s 97 in the first innings, stitching together a crucial partnership with Ajinkya Rahane who notched up 81, allowed India to put up a warring total on the board. However, it was the second innings where Kohli brought out his majestic best, clobbering 103 off 197 balls, navigating the treacherous waters of Nottingham to fuel India to post a monumental total of 521 runs.

Birmingham Bedlam:

Not all valiant efforts guarantee you a win, similarly Kohli’s redoubtable show in Birmingham did leave the English bowlers rattled but the overall Indian unit couldn’t come up with something solid. In the overall 274 that India could manage, Kohli was the leading contributor by a proverbial mile, smashing 149 runs. He struck 22 fours and a six in the process, very calmly circumnavigating through the strong challenge set by the English bowlers. He had another fine knock in the second innings as well, smashing an excellent 51 but once again, dearth of partnerships cost him the stand for something massive that could have pushed the English invasion back. While the knock did come in a match where India did not win, the century further underlined just how Virat always loved to rise above the challenges.

Caribbean Crescendo:

It goes without saying that the Windies unit which we knew back from the 70s or 80s is now a shadow of their former scintillating self. However, the Caribbean unit still decided to throw everything they had at the Indian batters. Despite claiming Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara early, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan stood in their way. Dhawan decided to up the ante while Kohli was the immovable rock, who came, saw and conquered. A mind-blowing double hundred - making him the first Indian Test captain to get to the landmark - saw him smashing 24 fours and garner the rest in singles and doubles, leaving the West Indies bowlers absolutely dazed and confused.